The Wizard's Pleasure
by Priestesses of H.I.S.S
Summary: (Written by Moon, #85) Hermione had a lot of free time in her last year of Hogwarts and turned her quill to writing erotic fiction (I wonder where I got the inspiration for that). What happens when the manuscript falls into the hands of the one person Hermione hoped it would not?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here we are with my #85 fic for our self-imposed 100 Title Challenge, 'The Wizard's Pleasure'. I will say that there was not going to be a whole chapter of Minerva but I am getting back into writing mode and so thought I'd start with something easy. More to come soon as this is in my head until it's done.**

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Chapter 1

Hermione nodded politely to the gargoyle that had just granted her entrance to the Headmistress's office and walked slowly up the stone steps which coiled harshly within the circular walls of its shaft. She held her head high in the chilly air as she ascended the stairs and arrived at the office door.

She took a deep breath and knocked twice.

It was a well-known rumour that Minerva McGonagall had a supposedly-secret weakness for bodice-ripper novels and as Hermione had found her seventh year a complete doddle in terms of studying, she had taken to writing erotic fiction whilst her peers studied vigorously to achieve a level of knowledge that would see them through their NEWT exams. Hermione already had this knowledge and then some having spent her previous year reading every book that her undetectably extended bag was capable of carrying; there was a lot of downtime in between all the action when one is hiding from the whole world and hunting for pieces of a Dark Lord's soul.

"Come in, Miss Granger."

Hermione turned the handle slowly and gave the heavy door an unladylike shove. It seemed odd to Hermione that a castle practically made of magic should have doors that stick but she let it go as the more pressing matter tucked under her other arm circled at the forefront of her mind.

"Hello, Professor. How are you?" Hermione asked cheerfully, trying to mask her nerves.

The older witch's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion at Hermione's cover up but knew her brave little cub would reveal the reason for requesting a private chat sooner or later. She rather suspected it had something to do with the large stack of parchment under Hermione's arm but planned to keep her curiosity in check. For now.

"I am well, all things considered. Have a seat Hermione. Would you like some tea?"

"That would be lovely, Professor. Thank you. You sound tired. Are you really okay?" Hermione replied, noticing the weariness in the thick Scottish brogue of her former Head of House.

"This really mustn't go any further, Hermione… I can trust you, I hope." Minerva confided quietly as she handed Hermione a cup of tea.

"Of course. What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid that being Headmistress is not all I thought it would be. Albus always made it appear so very easy. He took it all in his stride. I never fully recovered from being well and truly stunned last year and the stress of running the school is making me more than ready for retirement."

Hermione stared at the woman whom had always seemed so very stoic and formidable, in a matronly, severe aunt type of way with her eyes wide and moistening in empathy, and a comically dropped jaw.

"Do close your mouth, dear. You're not a fish."

Hermione's jaw snapped shut and she lunged at the older woman, wrapping her arms around the slightly hunched shoulders wrapped in emerald green velvet.

"I'm so sorry Minerva. I should have realised. Is there anything I can do?"

"Well, if you release me, now you come to mention it, I do have something of an idea… but it can wait until we discuss what you wanted to talk to me about."

"Oh…" Hermione replied softly, her manuscript having been forgotten. "Sorry Professor, I almost forgot. You got me so worried there for a moment."

"That's quite alright, Hermione. I appreciate your concern." Minerva replied with a warm smile as Hermione returned to her seat. "Now, what do you have there?"

Hermione place the manuscript in her lap and looked at the title, 'The Wizard's Pleasure', before shyly looking up at her Headmistress and hoping with all of her heart that the rumours were true.

"I… erm… I wrote something; it's erm… a book… well, it's not really a book yet. Just a story. I'm sure you can guess how much free time I had last year and studying took my mind off the cold and having an empty stomach and Ron's constant griping and so when I got back here in September, I found I was already 80% prepared for my NEWTs. As I didn't want it to seem to everyone that I wasn't studying; people already call me a know-it-all, I decided to try my hand at writing fiction and well… erm… this is what I came up with…"

Hermione finished quickly, handing the thick ream of parchment to Minerva.

The Headmistress's smile beamed at the ingenuity of her favourite student and she reached out to take the manuscript.

"Oh Hermione, this is…" Minerva's praise halted as she glanced at the title; her eyes going a little wide and her mouth forming a tight little 'o'. "I see you have been listening to rumours, Miss Granger. I thought _you_ would know better than to listen to the idle gossip of your fellow students."

There was not an ounce of true disappointment in the Headmistress's words but Hermione hung her head in embarrassment all the same. Partially at believing rumours and partially because she had revealed rather a lot in this story and was suddenly wanting to snatch it back and run to hide under her covers.

"I'm so sorry, Professor." Hermione began without raising her head. "It's just there's no-one else I can really share this with. You're the only person I can really trust and if it's good enough, I'd really like to get it published. Please… please… will you just have a look and let me know what you think."

Minerva pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed - a mannerism she'd picked up from Severus over the last twenty years; whilst she generally had a tighter hold on the exasperation she had regarding students, every now and then, a situation would call for the physical display. The truth was, she did have a slight penchant for romantic literature but it usually led more to works such as Lady Chatterley's Lover.

After a moment of contemplation and consideration, Hermione broke the silence…

"Please, Minerva. There's no-one else I can ask about this."

"Very well, Hermione but you owe me for this. You will cover my midnight patrols for the week as you have so much free time, it shouldn't be a burden."

"You've been spending too much time with Professor Snape… that's the kind of payback he would issue." Hermione said with mock outrage, even though there was a laugh trying to fight its way to the surface.

"That is simply not true. My payback is much more pleasant that Severus's would be; he would have made it a month. Besides, it's hardly payback considering you are Head Girl and I am asking a personal favour as I am feeling unwell; just as you are asking this favour of me."

Hermione let out her own sigh of exasperation, knowing she had well and truly been played before something suddenly occurred to her… if Minerva really was playing her for a week off of patrols then she actually did want to read the manuscript and the rumours were absolutely true. Hermione's smirk was suddenly so obvious that Salazar Slytherin himself couldn't have done better.

"Happy reading, Minerva." Hermione said with a wave and left the office for the gargoyle.

Minerva stayed very still until she heard the distant tell-tale grinding of stone-on-stone that meant the gargoyle had released Miss Granger.

"You can come out now Severus."

"Well, well, well, Minerva; it seems your favourite little cub has a naughty side." Severus said as he stepped out of the shadows smirking.

"Apparently so, if this title is anything to go by…"

Severus Snape leaned over Minerva's shoulder.

"'The Wizard's Pleasure'," he read aloud, "I assume you will allow me the privilege after you have partaken?"

"Of course, Severus. You like these trashy stories more than I do, and that's saying something."

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**A/N: Hold on to your conical hats, it's going to be a steamy ride.**

**Love and Blessings**

**Moon Out x**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well who knew I'd be back quite so soon with chapter 2. I woke up with a burning ache to continue so technically, I did. I want to thank my coven – Dash, Claw and Snow for being so very supportive during my writing hiatus which has been prevalent for the last couple of weeks (months really if truth be told) but I feel I am somewhat back to feeling inspired, if not completely. This little tale seems to be helping. Well I won't keep you from enjoying any longer… still no lemons in this chapter but I hope you still enjoy it, the lemons are coming soon…**

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Chapter 2

Severus paced Minerva's office in the dusky light of her illuminator candles. She was on the last chapter of Hermione's steamy manuscript and so had sent him a note an hour before to come and see her before she handed it over.

It had been fifteen years since they had discovered a mutual interest in literary smut. Severus had caught the then-deputy Headmistress scrambling to hide one of her books into her desk as he approached for that year's class schedule. Curiosity piqued, he had snuck like the Slytherin he was back into her office while she was in classes later that day, having given nothing away of what he had seen and 'borrowed' the book to see what her secret was.

The then young spy who was in love with a long ago best friend and had no interest in another was intrigued by the arousing escape from his dual life and thus was born a somewhat unhealthy fascination with fictional characters, their lives and their debauchery.

Now, he waited to read the efforts of possibly his most annoying student of all time and see how she had hacked at this prized past-time with her over-use of words and stumbling over the true eroticism that can be achieved when the author had literary skill. He refused to admit that in this cast the author did have such skill even though he had read her perfectly crafted essays for the last eight years.

He caught sight of Minerva's hand as she flicked to the last page and sighed in exasperation and excitement. The woman was blushing, actually blushing. Having attempted to cause this reaction himself in his boss over the years – purely for amusement – he knew it to be an almost impossible feat. He was begrudgingly impressed.

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It had been quite a while since Minerva had read something quite this detailed and with a level of plot and backstory that had her more enthralled that the inevitable blue material. It seemed that Miss Granger was quite the writer and as such had written a full-length romance novel with touches of sensual delight that would have impressed Jane Austen herself.

The Headmistress had been in possession of the work for three days and had only laid it to one side in order to hold meetings, eat in the Great Hall or sleep. It had even inspired her to jot down a few notes with the idea of perhaps penning something of her own.

The characters were well-defined, the plot was enjoyable with its flawless twists and exciting turns but the subtext was undeniable. Hermione Granger was in love Professor Snape and she had used the formidable Potions Master and herself as archetypes for the lovers of her story.

"_Do you love me?" _

_Russ's voice was rich and flavourful like warm chocolate truffles. The baritone dripped with sensual promise but also held the desperation of a man whom feared he could never be loved._

"_Of course I do, you silly, silly man. There are no words hurtful enough, no deed treacherous enough, no magic dark enough to make the glow you cause in my heart to diminish. I will love you… always."_

_There was an intense silence as the mystical black depths of his inky irises focused solely on Kia before something settled between them. True acceptance of each other brought a potent warmth which had been missing in their trysts up until now. Finally he accepted her and she relished in it and let it wash over her. _

_With the descent of his thin, pale but extraordinarily talented lips onto her own, she surrendered to being the vessel of her wizard's pleasure…_

Minerva took a deep breath as she finished the story and took a sip of her tea and shortbread finger biscuit. Severus had been pacing in her office for almost two hours waiting for her to finish… waiting… for three days really if his almost hourly correspondence was anything to go by. He had spent the time like a five year-old in perpetual Christmas Eve mode. It made Minerva chuckle that anything could bring about such feelings in him but especially Hermione's manuscript. He was certainly in for a surprise when he caught on to whom she had based _'Russ' _on.

"Are you still not done, woman? Is this slowing of your mental capacities a mark of your increasing years, Minerva? Only you would have tea and biscuits with this type of _literature._" He said with annoyance, inflecting the last word as though he doubted the story in her hands could be counted as such- ever the pessimist regardless of his intrigue for the work.

"Severus, must you be so caustic all the time? To answer your questions, yes I am done; no, my mental capacities are not slowing due to my increasing years and the LITERATURE that this exciting work most definitely is has the romantic quality that can be enjoyed with tea and biscuits. I believe though, that even if one had read this story half out of their mind on fire-whiskey the subtext would be undeniable." Minerva responded proudly.

"I think I'll be the judge of that. Hand it over then. I don't want to be up until midnight reading Gryffindor drivel about what constitutes a good time."

"I'm really not sure it's a good idea for you to read this, Severus. Now that I've read it, I feel that I would be breaking Hermione's trust were I to share this with you. Especially given how she has formed the characters."

Severus let his surprise show for a second before he hid it safely under his well-practiced emotionless face of master-skilled occlumency.

"Good idea or not, you agreed Minerva. Now, hand it over." He demanded coolly, holding out his hand.

"Fine! But don't say I didn't warn you and do not go to Hermione about this when you've read it. I will not have her trust in me broken, especially as I plan to offer her the Transfiguration apprenticeship for next year. With all this book business, I never got around to asking her the other day."

"Yes! Yes! Very Well. I shall have it back to you by tomorrow and you can discuss your precious apprenticeship with her when you hand it back."

Minerva took a deep breath and closed her eyes wondering how to ensure that Severus didn't approach Hermione once he'd read it.

"I want your word, Severus. A wizard's vow."

"What? Minerva, I… what can possibly in this story that you would ask such a thing?"

"If you want to know, you will give me your word that you will not let Hermione know by actions or words that you are familiar with the contents of her manuscript or that you are even aware of it at all."

"Minerva, please… no more vows."

The Headmistress took pity on his fearful eyes and gave in. A little.

"Ok, Severus, calm down. I will not ask for a magical vow but I will ask you to swear it on your job. If I get any indication that Hermione is even subliminally aware of your knowledge in this, I will find another Potions Master for Hogwarts."

"Is that not a little extreme, Minerva? What could she possibly have written that has you so protective over… oh sweet Merlin… don't tell me, it's about… me?"

"Got the snitch in the first minute. Now, do you still want to read it because I will be asking for that promise from you, if you do?

Severus thought for a few moments. He knew that despite his, in his own opinion, unfortunate appearance, he was not without admirers; especially since the war but… Hermione Granger? Could it simply be that she used him as an archetype or did she use herself as the female lead? Most female writers do, in one way or another, write from personal experience or fantasy. Was he her fantasy? It seemed highly unlikely but he knew to find out he would have to submit to Minerva's demands.

"Ok, ok, fine. You blasted woman. Haven't I made enough promises in my life to do as I please?"

"Yes, Severus, you have." She said with a sad smile. "But this is different. Hermione has not given me permission to share this with anyone else and so by rights, you shouldn't know about it. You were only here the other day in the capacity of deputy-Head. If you had been in plain sight and not lurking in the shadows, she probably wouldn't have shared the manuscript in the first place."

"You know how much I enjoy lurking, Minerva. You hear the most fascinating things as a lurker."

Minerva smiled, despite herself. Severus would never change; at least, not in that aspect. He was the consummate Slytherin.

"Promise me, Severus?" She said sternly, all of sudden, her face shifting to untrusting professor.

Severus got a flash back as he remembered her from his own school days.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall." He said, just like a contrite schoolboy, although there was an underlying sense of sarcasm before he shifted into sincerity and continued. "I promise."

"Excellent." Minerva said, her smile reforming brilliantly. "Then in the words of our beloved Miss Granger… 'Happy reading!'"

The Headmistress handed over the bound stack of parchment that was 'The Wizard's Pleasure' and told Severus she'd see him at dinner in a few hours.

Severus tried, very hard in fact, not to hold the manuscript to his chest like a prized possession but failed miserably as he turned and headed to his quarters for an evening of fire-whiskey and reading.

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**A/N: Well is that enough of a cliff hanger. I literally had this planned as three chapters but I'm enjoying these little bite-size chunks of story with only a single scene per update. Next time... Severus reads 'The Wizard's Pleasure'.**

**Love and Sevvy Blessings**

**Moon Out! x**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello, my lovelies. I think I have finally settled for a name for my readers. Not sure if it is 'Priestesses account' specific or if it will **_**transfigure **_**(see what I did there?) into a name for the followers of my own personal account too.**

**Well after being berated by my fellow Priestesses for leaving y'all hanging on this story, I decided to update again quickly. Also, being English, it still surprises me that I can 'y'all' in the correct context but I did and I do and it sounds horribly wrong in an English accent but I have no intention of stopping. The habits I pick up from my Southerner Coven members, I swear…**

**Well, I will not keep you from the goodies any longer, except to say that this chapter is where the fic starts to earn that M-rating I popped on this baby. Enjoy and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW. I'm a very needy individual who works better with constant praise… also; you never know when a comment from your review could end up in an upcoming chapter. My muse is a complete scavenger. x**

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Chapter 3

It had been a stressful morning as he had waited for Minerva to finish Hermione's manuscript; now he finally had it and could settle in his large hunter-green leather wingback chair by the roaring fire of his quarters, flickering candlelight illuminating the shadows of the dungeon room and a glass of firewhiskey sat on the side table by his chair, waiting patiently for him to indulge.

Severus took in the scene before him as he approached his lounge area and picked up his reading glasses from beside the glass of fire-whiskey

_Perfect. _He thought as he settled himself.

As he read the first few lines, he realised this story seemed to begin as a poorly covered version of her life after the final battle…

_Kia walked away from The Warren with her head held high. She had had quite enough of Donald and his unco-ordinated, slobbering advances. She realised as she apparated away that what she thought she had wanted as girl, when she had fancied herself in love with one of her best friends, was no longer an accurate description of what she wanted as a woman._

_Now, what she yearned for was a lover with practiced hands, knowing eyes and a passionate heart. She longed for the deep, resounding baritone which could vibrate along every nerve ending of her body until it's every inflection of sarcasm, wit and cynicism danced a tango on her clitoris. That sexy, rumbling, disapproving voice had echoed in the darkest recesses of every dream she had allowed to penetrate her mind since the first stirrings of her sexual awakening at just fifteen years old…_

_The dark, shadows of the dungeon classrooms were the perfect backdrop for her to imagine be slammed against the wall by the intimidating and often cruel Professor of both her waking and sleeping fantasies…._

Severus's mouth dropped open as he averted his eyes from the page and grabbed for his drink; mouth suddenly very dry. The girl wasn't even trying to hide who she meant – the description of his voice, the dungeon classroom backdrop. It seemed quite obvious that the most insufferable know it all of the century was currently lusting after her Potions Professor – and the greatest shock of all to Severus was that that Potions Professor was himself.

The more he read, the more he drank and Severus was a skilled speed reader. He actually had a spell which allowed his mind to absorb the information of any text almost instantly but he liked to read this type of literature the manual way.

It hadn't taken too long for Hermione's words to transform from practically autobiographical to pure fantasy and as Severus reached the middle of the story, the bottle of fire-whiskey empty beside him, he had begun to absent-mindedly stroke the fully engorged erection that had formed in his pants to the 'detention-activities' of _Miss_ _Kia_ _Range _and _Professor Russeve Neaps_.

_His sinful mouth, so sharp when issuing cruel remarks on her long-researched homework, now heated her skin with pleasure rather than ire as he worked his way down her elegantly long neck to her slightly exposed collarbones. She shivered under the slide of his tongue as it licked assuredly between the soft, warm, creamy flesh of her beautiful breasts, each peaking tautly with the arousal and heat that he had flowing through her whole body._

_Kia whimpered quietly as his wicked lips closed securely over one puckered nipple his questing fingers finding its twin. Her back arched toward his ministration, thrusting her chest upward into the blissful tension he was coaxing from her._

"_More… please…" she whispered on the end of a moan as her own hand guided his lower on her body._

"_Please, Professor… I need to feel you… here…" Her words came from her forced as if the pleasure he brought her made every word difficult to release when she felt his warm, long, thin, digits begin to probe into her hot, pink, wet folds…_

Unknowingly, as he was so lost in her words, Severus had released his rock hard arousal from its fabric prison and had stroked himself almost to completion. He wondered if Hermione would know if he released himself upon her writing. He could, of course scourgify away the evidence afterward. In the next seconds however, the choice was taken from him as he gasped, grunted and tensed before spilling his seed onto the page to the mental image of Hermione's dripping wet quim being willingly offered to his questing finger.

"Hermione…" he said breathlessly as the last of his seed left him.

The thick, white liquid of his release was splatted across her words as he looked down at them panting.

It took him only a short amount of time to recover himself from the activity of solo-shots he had been practicing since he was fourteen; although he had to admit he had never had such delightful mental stimulation before. He would have to remove his imaginings and store them in vials for pensieve use and later enjoyment.

He read the remainder of the story in just under two hours; a repeat performance of his earlier lack of control happening just thirty minutes before he completed the text to Hermione's description of his fictional self, bending her over his classroom desk and fucking her for all he was worth whilst spanking her softly rounded rear end to a red finish – as bright as her school house celebration banners, her words – before spinning her around to complete himself in giving her an eruption of pearls to decorate her neck and heavy chest.

Once again, he had had scourgify the manuscript of his seed before finishing the story.

"_Do you love me?" _

_Russ's voice was rich and flavourful like warm chocolate truffles. The baritone dripped with sensual promise but also held the desperation of a man whom feared he could never be loved._

"_Of course I do, you silly, silly man. There are no words hurtful enough, no deed treacherous enough, no magic dark enough to make the glow you cause in my heart to diminish. I will love you… always."_

_There was an intense silence as the mystical black depths of his inky irises focused solely on Kia before something settled between them. True acceptance of each other brought a potent warmth which had been missing in their trysts up until now. Finally he accepted her and she relished in it and let it wash over her. _

_With the descent of his thin, pale but extraordinarily talented lips onto her own, she surrendered to being the vessel of her wizard's pleasure…_

"She loves me." He admitted to the now gently burning embers of his fire place.

Placing the manuscript on the table next to his empty glass of fire-whiskey, he removed his glasses and placed them on top of the text, rubbing his nose and closing his eyes against what all this new information – that he was not supposed to have – meant to him. His body was tired from his two sexual releases but his mind was a hive of activity trying to process his predicament – occlumency would be useless against this.

He stood and headed for his bedroom to at least attempt sleep, although he knew it was a fruitless hope. His body, mind and heart were all very synchronised on the point that Severus Snape would have only one consideration for the rest of the night and possibly for the rest of his life: Hermione Granger. Know-It-All. KIA.

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**A/N: Well, there we are, chapter three is complete. I have succumb to the demands of my coven and granted them this update. Hope y'all enjoy. REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE. I know this type of chanting usually works on Dash, unless I'm chanting SEQUEL, SEQUEL, SEQUEL, about one of her fics. You heard me witch – I want a sequel to Storm. Pllllllllllllllllllease!**

**Oooo, I almost forgot, just before I vanish into obscurity again, Snow mentioned in her review of Chapter 2 that she was hoping for Hermione's full manuscript to be posted as a story. As it is under the same title as this fic, I offer the challenge to my coven to write it for their take on this title. The only insistence is that the passages I have included in this would be included in yours too. If anyone else would also like to take it on, feel free.**

**Love and Wizard's Pleasure Blessings**

**Moon Out! x**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I know, I know, this is the second chapter in a day and I am sure everyone is thinking 'Is Moon feeling alright?' Well the truth is I feel absolutely wonderful despite the fact that Dash blackmailed me into this chapter. On the plus side, it does mean that any one of my readers who are fans of her story 'I Want a Storm' will be getting a sequel. Albeit a short one but chanting for a sequel didn't quite work writing an extra chapter of this did. Watch this space TempestEDashon. **

**Now, I'm not entirely sure what genre to place this chapter in as there is a bit of funny and a bit of emotional messiness so I will let you lovelies decide. On with the show…**

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Chapter 4

Severus's stride was, to the casual observer, unchanged as he hastened toward the Headmistresses office with Hermione's manuscript tucker safely within his robes, away from the curious eyes of early morning breakfasting students; to anyone who knew him well however, such as Minerva, it would be slightly more obvious that he was walking a little uncomfortably.

The night, as suspected had been plagued with not one minute of sleep but countless inappropriate thoughts of the Gryffindor Princess and imaginings of how she might look writhing in pleasure below him, above him, in front of him, at his feet… the images went on and on and not all were inspired by the words he had read only hours ago. No; his sub-conscious mind, in its infinite wisdom had chosen to superimpose Hermione Granger, Head Girl, into his own tried and true fantasies meaning he had not only had to pleasure himself another once, but twice throughout the early hours. He hadn't had to do that since he was a damn teenager. What the hell had she done to him?

Then the last lines of her 'fiction' came to his mind again…

_Of course I do, you silly, silly man. There are no words hurtful enough, no deed treacherous enough, no magic dark enough to make the glow you cause in my heart to diminish. I will love you… always._

Was it a true confession? Could he possibly allow himself to believe that this fierce, young, beautiful witch who had fought a war, outshone her entire year group intellectually and received enough respect from Minerva McGonagall to be considered to replace her as not only Transfiguration Professor but also Head of Gryffindor; could he deem it in any way believable that Hermione Granger could love him?

His considerations were cut short when in his trance-like state of lost thoughts he actually bumped into the gargoyle which guarded Minerva's office and chambers. If ever asked, which hopefully with no witnesses he would not be, he would blame it on a lack of sleep. Of course the gargoyle himself was a bigger gossip than Minerva was and Severus had found out in the past months that the stone beast was the secret to half of Dumbledore's seemingly omnipotent knowledge.

It opened its wings with a chuckle to reveal the well traversed spiral staircase. Severus scowled menacingly as if the magically-sentient guardian was worse than a Marauder and kicked at its brass-clawed talons as he passed by muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "dunderheaded bloody bird".

"Come in Severus," he heard Minerva say before he even had chance to knock.

He walked in slowly, trying to avoid giving away the considerable soreness he was experiencing from just how much action his cock had seen last night – the chaffing was almost unbearable and he had been too irritable with lack of sleep and confusion this morning to use a salve.

"Good morning, Minerva." He said politely, still attempting to cover his discomfort.

"Done already?" She replied, looking disgustingly amused. "What did you think?"

Severus just stared at her expressionless for a moment, exhaustedly forcing his occlumency shields into place. He really didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing him in any way discombobulated by Miss Granger's work but she was in friend-mode which was difficult to resist at the best times, given he had so few friends but with his mental confusion and annoying lack of sleep, he was failing to be the unreadable man he was known to be by everyone else.

"Give it up, Severus. I have known you for too long for that lack of expression to put me off. It got to you didn't it? _She_ got to you?"

"Perhaps," he began, still trying to put up a fight in sharing his feelings, "a little. Miss-"he coughed to clear the sudden squeak in his throat.

"Miss Granger's writing talent exceeded my expectations." He finished stiffly. Proud of himself for being cordial about her in company.

"Come now, Severus. Surely you can be more gracious than that. Why, the girl practically poured her heart out to you?"

His friend still looked so very amused. He could tell she was highly enjoying being able to poke at him about his emotions like this and he could feel his temper starting to rise a little.

"Will you give it a rest, woman?" he snapped. "Yes, she bloody got to me and I've been up all fucking night trying to get her out of my head but it seems she has crept in there and is now squatting in every waking thought like a slutty little plot viper."

"Oh my, Severus. Such language. I must say, I am delighted. It is about time you had a little love in your life and it seems Hermione is certainly willing to provide such a thing."

"You can't be serious Minerva. She is still a student. Twenty years my junior and a… a…."

"A what, Severus?" Minerva said sternly, her demeanour changing from friend to Mama lioness, protecting her cubs. He could tell what she thought he was going to say… the same thing he had said to Lily twenty-some-odd-years ago.

Severus sighed, sinking into the guest chair at the front of Minerva's desk. His head falling into his hands.

"A Gryffindor," he said quietly. "I can tell what you thought I wanted to say Minerva. Do you really think after Lily, after all these years, I have not learned that lesson well enough? I didn't even believe it then."

"My apologies Severus. It is hard to let go of the past sometimes. As you well know. I would never truly believe that of you. Not now. Sweet Merlin, you are falling apart over her 'anonymous' declaration to a point where you must feel something in return for it to affect you so strongly."

Minerva's sympathetic tone both grated on and soothed his temper and his raw nerves.

"Thank you." He said simply.

"So, do you have it? She's due shortly to pick it up."

He reached into his robes to retrieve the thick tome, inwardly cringing at what Minerva would be touching had he not hastily scourgified the pages before retiring.

She took it from his hands and fanned the pages through. Unfortunately, there were several sets of two or three pages that were stuck together and Minerva's eyes widened in realisation.

"Oh, Severus, you didn't?"

Catching on quickly to what she had discovered and exactly how he had been given him away, he bowed his head in embarrassment as his heart beat furiously in a panic.

"I will not insult your intelligence by trying to deny my reaction any longer but if the girl is due to collect it shortly there must be something we can do. I swear I cast the strongest scourgify I have in my life before I went to bed last night."

The blasted woman chuckled at his confession.

"I am guessing, Severus that by the time you cast that scourigify, you were mentally and sexually exhausted and rather inebriated as I know you like your fire-whiskey with a good read. Was it a whole bottle you got through?"

"Close enough. And will you please wipe that smug expression off your face. It's sickening."

"Let me crow a moment Severus; I don't get to enjoy chastising you nearly often enough these days."

He rolled his eyes as the embarrassment started to die off and give way to panic.

"Forget about that for a moment. She's going to notice Minerva. And remember if she realises exactly what is sticking those pages together, she'll know you shared her story."

Minerva's smile dropped.

"Ok. You may have a point. Now, let's see… do you still have all the ingredients to brew a quick batch of…"

A quick batch of whatever Minerva was about to say however never got discovered as a low wrapping noise came from the office door, followed by a very familiar and excited voice.

"_Headmistress, are you there? I'm sorry I'm early but I couldn't wait anymore to know what you think."_

Two sets of wide eyes snapped to the door as the handle began to turn.

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**A/N: Is it wrong that I am cackling like the evil Slytherin cliff-hanger extraordinaire b… erm witch that I am? Blame Dash… this chapter may have been completely different if I'd wrote it tomorrow; it might have had a lovely ending. As it is… drama, suspense and intrigue.**

**Please review. I love reviews, they make me laugh and give me ideas.**

**Love and Cliffy-goodness-is-back Blessings**

**Moon Out! x**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Good morning/afternoon/evening my lovelies… before I get started with my usual amount of wittering on, I need to mention, as I failed in the appropriate chapter than the character name of 'Kia' in Hermione's manuscript was the brain-child of my incredibly clever and talented fellow Coven member Claw who has just posted the second story to this Priestesses of H.I.S.S. account. Please go check it out; it is an amazing dramione plot and the first chapter had me completely floored with the wow-ness of it.**

**As per the rules of the 100 titles challenge which this story is a part of, at least one Coven member must be present at some point during the story. That will be happening next chapter. As a thank you to Claw for the Kia-inspiration, she is definitely going to be in it but I am hoping to get us all into it. Claw, Dash, Snow and perhaps myself too. **

**Well I have babbled enough for now. Happy reading. Please review… :D**

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Chapter 5

Severus cast a very quick locking charm on the office door to buy them several precious seconds but as he turned back toward the Headmistress and his eyes flew to the wand in her hand, he shook his head in the most vigorous and animated gesture of denial she had ever seen from him.

"No!" He stated in a quiet but insistent voice. "Not again."

"There is no other choice, Severus and you know it." She said, equally as insistent before turning toward the door. "I'll be with you in a moment, Miss Granger. I am just finishing a floo call."

"_Ok, Headmistress." _Hermione's muffled voice drifting into the cavernous, circular office and both teachers could hear the excitement in it; could practically feel her anticipatory energy vibrating through the stone and wood barriers between them and her.

Severus sighed as his mind imagined that energy bouncing around on top of him as he grasped her hips and tried to hold her on him as she exploded around him. He shook himself from the imagery quickly given what he was about to face.

"Just make it quick, Minerva. And please, not a robe-rack this time."

"I thought you looked positively fetching as you held up my robes and hat. At least they were green for you, Severus."

He shot her a glare as she began to flourish her wand and silently cast a transfiguration spell. He was convinced she only did it silently so he wasn't sure what she was turning him into.

Severus found himself simultaneously moved to right in front of her desk and then held stationary on the floor.

_Hidden in plain sight. Interesting approach._

He couldn't see anything but heard a further wand swish toward the desk… placing the manuscript out of sight he assumed and then another swish toward the office door to remove his ward.

"Come in, Miss Granger. Please have a seat."

Severus heard shuffling of feet, the thunk of a school back and then not heavy but considerable pressure being pressed into whatever his form. He took a moment to settle as the pressure wriggled a little and seemed to be trying to get comfortable. He realised the pressure was coming from Miss Granger and belatedly understood exactly what Minerva had transfigured him into. He suddenly very much missed his ability to scowl.

_A fucking armchair. Insufferable, meddlesome old crone._

His ire melted quickly though as he felt the recent focus of his unprecedented desires stoke her hand along his… arm?

"This chair is beautiful Minerva. The leather is so soft. Has it always been here? I've never noticed it before."

"Thank you dear. The armchair has been at Hogwarts for a long time but I've only recently had it moved to my quarters. It reclines too. There's a lever on the side, give it try?" Minerva told her favourite student and if Severus had eyes in that moment, they would've been wide.

He felt a small yet strong grip on his 'lever' as the girl pulled it back and pushed herself more forcefully against him. His 'legs' suddenly shot forward and he found himself playing lounger to the sweetly rounded curves of the Gryffindor Princess as she reclined against his leather and stuffing body. He was just about to begin plotting his revenge for Minerva's cheek when Hermione wriggled against him and sighed.

It was both the sweetest and most arousing thing he had heard for a long time and he found himself revelling in the pleasure of being so close to her. His revenge plans for the Headmistress eviscerated. He thought, in fact, he might buy her some flowers.

"This is lovely." He heard Hermione say. "I think the leather is heating up too. Is that a spell?"

Minerva chuckled.

"Oh no, Miss Granger. That is a completely natural occurrence, I assure you. I think the _chair_ likes you."

Severus could hear the woman's smugness and the slight inflection on the word 'chair'. He wanted to roll his eyes at her antics and cover her with the furnunculus jinx.

"Is it sentient then Professor? That's…. unusual isn't it? I've never heard of sentient furniture."

She sounded completely awed.

"It is highly unusual. Sentient furniture tends to be a wizard whom has been transfigured. I personally used this as a course of payback in my youth. A peer attempted to blackmail me and so I turned him into one of the lovely suits of armour in the entrance hall."

"Professor!" Hermione exclaimed in shock as her hand suddenly pulled his 'lever' forward once more and she rocketed in the same direction as his 'legs' shot back under him.

_I'm getting too old for this shit._

"I turned him back… about a month later."

Hermione giggled and Severus could feel her bottom wiggling against him. It was wonderful.

"Well, that's okay then." Hermione chastised mockingly. "Can we talk about my manuscript now Professor? It's really why I came by so early. I can't wait to know… what you think."

"I found it rather easy to see through your attempts at hiding the… shall we say… character inspirations? I must ask dear, how much of this story is, well… erm… autobiographical."

Severus could feel Hermione's whole body warming with embarrassment and whilst he felt rather indignant at the fact that Minerva thought he would be inappropriate with a student, he understood that for the sake of propriety, she had to ask.

As the silence stretched out for a few moments, Minerva extended her interrogation of gossip under the guise of concern for her student. She knew very well, Severus hadn't laid a hand on her. He hadn't even laid a hand on himself with her in mind until last night. Well… maybe once. After she saved his life.

"You're in a safe place, dear. You can trust me. If Professor Snape has ever…"

"No! No, never. I promise. Professor Snape has never touched me like that. Or at all. I swear it, Professor."

Severus felt Hermione tense as she defended him so vehemently. He also heard her mutter almost silently, "more's the pity", and again, if he'd had eyes, they would've widened. It was one thing to read her intense sexual interest in him, it was quite another to hear it from her own lips.

"Ok. I will take you at your word. For now. But, Miss Granger… Hermione… what you wrote is extremely explicit and whilst amazingly well written, I don't think I can let you leave without asking when and how this interest in Severus first made its appearance."

"Well… erm…"

"It's ok, take your time. There's no-one else here and you have my assurance that this will go no further." The older witch placated. Severus could imagine her almost salivating for the details; between Minerva, Poppy and Pomona, they lived out a rich and varied precarious love life through the older students.

"It's something that happened very gradually. I was always rather fascinated with him. He's interesting. Intelligent. Formidable. It really started with respect and curiosity when I first came to Hogwarts; I found him instantly worthy of respect, from my very first potions lesson. I can still remember his voice describing the subtle art of potion making; telling us that foolish wand waving was not needed. I was completely captivated even then by his passion for the subject. I had to ignore a lot of what Ron and Harry said about him or I'd have ended up in tears at how much they bashed my favourite professor."

Severus smirked at that last part. He was never anyone's favourite anything. A warmth was filling his heart as she described her interest in him. He knew Minerva was doing this on purpose but he found… as Hermione continued her declaration, which he didn't mind at all.

Twenty more minutes of praise and respect for him later and he was about ready burst with smugness… and then the conversation heated up.

"So, it was your fifth year when you started to feel more than respect and admiration for Severus?"

"It's hard to tell. These things happen so gradually and I'm sure it had been coming on before that but the night after the first DA meeting, I had a… dream about him."

"Ah yes, I remember your fictional telling of that dream… what was it you said… ah yes… _'eyes black as coal burning with the embers of the fires she stoked in his soul and body, bored into Kia's own honey flecked irises as her pupils expanded in her desire.' _"Very emotive words."

"Thank you Professor." Hermione replied shyly.

_How can she be so shy after half of the things she's written._

"I do not wish to pry too deeply, Hermione but as you have brought this 'story' to me, I hope you will allow me the liberty…"

After a moment, Minerva continued and he assumed Hermione had nodded her assent.

"How do you feel about Severus now?"

There was a long silence. Hermione hadn't tensed up but she was very still and he could tell she was thinking very carefully of how to word what she said.

"I… I think he's the bravest man I've ever known and I love him to pieces."

Severus felt his heart explode in his albeit, currently heartless body. No one had ever freely admitted to loving him. Possibly no-one ever had. It felt all at once completely suffocating and like he could breathe for the first time. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and kiss every inch of her sun-kissed skin, every tiny freckle on her perfect nose and curve of her young, ripening body. He wanted to return her love ten-fold.

"Then my dear, you deserve him and _his_ love. I couldn't let him go to anyone who would not love him as you do."

"What…? I… Professor, it's all a fantasy. He would never… I mean, he's…"

"What is it, dear? What is it you think he wouldn't love equally as fervently as you love him?"

"I don't know… he's just always felt so… unapproachable… never mind unattainable. That's why I turned to writing my fantasies down. Not to mention, I'm still a student."

"You are only a student for a few more weeks Hermione. What I called the meeting for a few days ago was to offer you an apprenticeship with myself to take over as Transfiguration Professor when I retire."

"Really?" Hermione squealed. "Oh, Minerva, I'd love to."

"That is wonderful news but you see with you hear as my apprentice, you will be free to pursue a relationship with Severus, should he feel enamoured in a similar way. Once I retire, as my deputy, he will become Headmaster and you will become Head of Gryffindor."

"Whaaaaaaat? But I'm too young for that."

"Who told you such poppycock? I was only 25 when I took the position myself. You are already nineteen, thanks to your time-turner use in third year, your birthday is only a few months away and the apprenticeship is three years."

"You make it all sound very easy. I sincerely doubt it will all be so simple."

"The best things in life rarely are my dear. Just take Severus as an example… a more complicated and difficult man would be almost impossible to encounter and yet you have already told me he is both your favourite professor and the bravest man you have ever known. Contrarily, do you remember Professor Lockhart?"

Severus felt Hermione shudder.

"Point taken, Minerva. How can I possibly approach Professor Snape with my interest in him though? He's likely to laugh me out of the dungeon… well, maybe not laugh. He never laughs. Scowl me out of the dungeon, maybe."

"I have one idea that could work," Minerva began, knowing it already had, "I could let Severus read your manuscript and let your seductive words work their magic on him. He is only a man after all and putting the thought of a beautiful young woman in his mind that is crazy about him might have a very potent and almost magical effect."

_Why Minerva, you sneaky little… THAT is positively Slytherin of you._

"I don't know. Does it not paint me as something of a…"

"It paints you as a woman, Hermione. A fully grown woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid of going after it. The proud and brave lioness that you are."

Severus tried very hard to roll his non-existent eyes.

"But Minerva… everything in the story is conjecture, fantasy, a collection of dreams. I've never… what I mean to say is that I'm… erm… a… virgin."

Minerva looked momentarily surprised, given the level of erotic detail in Hermione's writing but schooled her expression quickly.

Severus was both in awe at her imagination and overjoyed that should this now mutual attraction come to anything other than a brief flirtation over morning coffee, he would be the first and only man to claim her because he had no intention of ever letting her go if it did come to that.

"I can't imagine that would be a problem. A good man sees the bestowing of such a gift on him as just that… a gift. Never fear about that side of things. Severus is a very good man. In fact I may have to concur with you that he is the best man I know."

Severus felt his heart warm for his friend as she proclaimed him so worthy of her minx of a cub.

"Ok. Well, I guess I don't mind him seeing it. It helps that you agree with me about him. You've known him a lot longer. I was just a little scared of his reaction."

"I hope that we will both be pleasantly surprised. Now why don't you go and get started on a sequel for me to enjoy and I will meet with you tomorrow to make preparations for your apprenticeship contract."

"Yes Professor," Severus heard Hermione say as the pressure against him eased and she got up. He felt the loss acutely. "Thank you for everything. Please try to give him a little heads up before he dives completely unknowingly into the sordid details of my mind."

"I will dear and I shall see you in Transfiguration this afternoon."

Hermione launched herself into older witch's arms quickly and then withdrew just as fast, slipping out of the door and presumably running toward Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

Minerva waited for the tell-tale sound of the gargoyle shifting before returning Severus to human form, a smirk playing on her lips at what she had stealthily wheedled out of Hermione.

"You are worse than Albus ever was?" Severus said in his usual deep but monotone voice but he couldn't conceal his excitement from her.

"_Too true."_ Albus agreed from his portrait behind Minerva's desk.

"Well, I learn from the best. I worked with Albus and his penchant for meddling for almost fifty years and I've had to watch your Slytherin tactics for nearing thirty, Severus. You can't blame a witch for picking up a trick or two."

"Be that as it may, whilst we betrayed her trust in my reading the manuscript in the first place, this feels more of disloyal somehow, especially on your part, Minerva."

"Perhaps, but I want to see you happy Severus and that girl loves you. Against all the odds, after everything that has happened in the last eight years, she has taken you into her heart and given you permanent residence there. I have never seen such passion and devotion to a man as I saw in her eyes as she spoke of you. Mark my words, Severus, grab this opportunity whilst you have it and never let her go."

"I shall come to the meeting with her tomorrow, visibly, and ask to speak with her afterwards… how is that for a beginning?" He asked, feeling rather proud of himself.

"Adequate. For now."

"You're impossible."

"Again, I learn from the best in that regard too." She replied with a slight smirk and a Snape-eyebrow.

"Well, I should go to breakfast. You've kept me here much longer than anticipated."

"_Be happy, Severus."_ Albus said with an oil-painted eye-twinkle from his frame.

Severus left the office and walked quickly toward the gargoyle. He only had thirty minutes left until the end of breakfast and being a chair for an hour made one surprisingly hungry.

As the gargoyle moved aside and he stepped into the corridor, his feet halted abruptly at the sight before him.

Hermione was sitting just to his left, her back against the cold stone or the wall holding the gargoyle entrance and her eyes had just snapped up to his… wide and suddenly shining with tears.

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**A/N: Once again, I have managed to incorporate one of my evil-Slytherin-witch cliff-hangers. Is it wrong that I take such pride in them? The rest of the coven and my loyal readers from my personal account know to expect them now and I even told the girls last night that I had a good one planned for this chapter.**

**I must thank Dash, just before I go for idea of turning Severus into an armchair. It worked perfectly and I am so pleased with this chapter which is a lot less bit-sized than the others. I got carried away. This is more of a hold-it-with-both-hands bitesize. **

**Well rules were made to be broken. Even my own.**

**Love and chunky-bite Blessings**

**Moon Out! x**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello my lovelies… this posting daily seems to have become and regular occurrence with this story. I fear that may change once I go back to work on Sunday but it will hopefully be completed by then or very nearly anyway. I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has left me reviews… it feels so heart-warming to have this hobby of mine appreciated. Especially when I feel like my writing skill is waning a bit.**

**I have two shout-outs before I let you get on with the story:**

**Dash, whom has helped with this story so much; firstly she chose whether to make Hermione a student or teacher, secondly she gave me the idea to turn Severus into a chair in the last chapter and so I give her full credit for the hilarity that ensued from that. As for this chapter, she inadvertently inspired the name of the gargoyle whilst asking in her last review with the gargoyle had told Hermione the sneaky passing on of the manuscript to Severus. In these and many other little ways, thank you so much Dash for being a part of my inner circle of muses.  
**

**Nyx/Phoenix. A new follower/reader/reviewer who found me via Dash and her review on the last chapter inspired the internal musings and panic of our dear flustered and caught-out Severus. I tried not to go completely verbatim but I was hopefully close enough that she recognises her influence.**

**Well without further ado, I shall leave you to enjoy. Please feel free to review. I do so enjoy the comments…**

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Chapter 6

_Fuck! How much can she know? What can I say? Lie, Lie, I need a good lie. I just came through the floo into Minerva's office? No! Minerva would have said if I was 'due' to visit. A secret short cut for staff from the dungeons to this floor, opening out just the other side of the gargoyle? No… she knows all the secret passageways thanks to that map from the damn Marauders. Fucking Potter. Screwing my life over. Again! There's always the truth… _

As he watched the first tear drop from her honey-cinnamon eyes, wide with disbelief and betrayal, he couldn't bring himself to confirm her suspicions.

_No. Not the truth. Come on Severus, you lied for a fucking living. You lied to Voldemort. For years. Why can't you think of one damn thing, a redeeming thing, to say to Hermione Fucking Granger? I'm just going to have to wing it._

"Miss Granger, I…" he stopped as her eyes narrowed and she pulled herself up to stand only a few inches away, facing him.

"What?" She asked with all the venom he had used against her for years. "What could you possibly have to say to me?"

"Hermione, I'm sor-"

"Don't bother. I've been far too forgiving for far too fucking long. I am so done!" She spat angrily as she began to walk away.

He watched her begin to walk away. Knowing this moment was critical if he wanted to find himself back in her good graces and then in her arms, he reached for her arm before she could get too far away.

She tried to pull away. It was too much; she had to get away from him. She could barely look at him right now without part of her insides wanting to crumble into nothing. She felt so betrayed. He'd read all those private thoughts and fantasies without her permission. She felt violated.

The gargoyle had told her everything. How Snape had left the previous night with her manuscript; how he'd returned this morning with it looking extremely tired, walking a little off and talking to Minerva about it.

Hermione had been too overwhelmed to ask the stone guardian what had been said but now as she attempted wriggle out of the grasp of the man she simultaneously loved and hated most in the world… well, she didn't really hate him. She never could but it damn well felt like it in that moment.

"Dammit, Hermione. Stop wriggling and listen."

His voice was loud, impatient and so deliciously deep that, as she was in such close proximity, having been pulled somewhat against him to stop from getting away, it ricocheted off every nerve ending, slid over her skin causing goose-pimples to prickle and pop all over her. She felt a pulse stir between her legs and her nipples tighten inside her uniform.

_Stupid, illogical body. Don't do this to me. I'm mad at him. _She thought as she continued trying to get away, pulling helplessly, needing to escape, to cry more, to just breathe and get her stupid, traitorous body in check.

Severus was struggling to hold on to her, she was lithe and wily and almost got away from him twice in the fight she was putting up. After a minute or so he was beginning to lose his patience. He brought his other arm up to grab her second wrist and pulled her flush against him – hoping that if her desire was as intense as she'd written about, as strong as she had explained to Minerva, then his scent and proximity would overwhelm her to the point she would simply stop fighting and succumb to her senses.

It worked. He felt the moment she stopped fighting. Her knees buckled slightly, her petite form went completely slack as she gave up her fight and sobbed against his chest. His arms loosened their grip and moved to cradle her.

The silence of the next few minutes was broken only by her sniffles as she released her anguish and his deep breathing as he took advantage of being a whole head taller than her and breathed in the scent of her hair – cherry bark, almonds and... What was that third scent? Nothing he recognised, at least nothing he was sure of. It was completely foreign to his memory and yet there was a familiarity to it – it reminded him of honey and musk. Could it possibly be… her… arousal?

She had stopped sobbing, stopped sniffling and stood, leaning against him, relaxed but very still as if she moved he would disappear and this moment of pure bliss, of getting to be so close would reveal itself as a cruel invention of her imagination. She could hear his heart beat, sure and steady in his chest where her head rested. She could feel his strong arms around her – impossibly black fabric over porcelain skin which she imagined to be littered with scars over tight muscle and sinew. He felt… strong and warm and… everything.

There had been no intention of giving up the fight but he was so close and he smelled so good – lemon grass, black pepper and cedar wood, all combined in his mouth watering scent. There was something else too, something that was uniquely his and she'd caught the fragrance before as she'd brewed amortensia in her sixth year and watched the identifying smoke curl. Through the haze of emotional turmoil and feelings of betrayal as she replayed the words of Bruce, the gargoyle, she felt her body betraying her too. It was reacting to his presence in the only way it knew how – extreme arousal. Her heart beat faster than she thought was healthy, her hands were sweaty where they rested on his chest near her chin where they had given up struggling and tried feebly to push him away. The tightened peaks of her chest were almost painful where she was crushed against him and as for lower… well that was in what she had affectionately labelled 'Snape-state' – there was something akin to an oil slick at Niagara Falls happening between her legs and she was powerless to correct it.

"Hermione…" he said softly after an unknown amount of time had passed.

Too softly, his voice had broken her reverie and she shivered at the baritone as he began to draw her to face him. She didn't feel ready to look into the eternal depths of his midnight black eyes; surely she would shatter when she fell into them.

"I… I can't… Professor, please, I just can't." Her voice croaked, hoarse from the sobbing as she avoided his eyes.

He was holding her almost at arm's length and his heart just about snapped in two as she averted her eyes to avoid him. He wanted to see her desire in them… he wanted to surrender to it.

"I think…" he began as he put a single, pale slender digit under her chin and lifted her beautiful earth-toned eyes, flecked with the fire as deep and intense as the planet's molten core, to his, "…it is about time you started to call me Severus."

It took a moment for his words to register but when they did he saw those stunning eyes glow with love and excitement and desire. Her pupils expanded quickly and she moved her face slowly towards his, one hand reaching behind his neck to pull his lips down to hers. As bold and courageous as her house of Gryffindor demanded, she licked her lips in what she hoped was a seductive manner and focused her gaze on the palish, slim entrance to his mouth.

"I'm still mad at you…" she whispered half-heartedly before closing the gap between them with one slightly more forceful tog downward on the nape of his neck.

As her soft, warm mouth met his, Severus allowed her the moment of boldness, the initial exploration of his lips. He owed her the chance to do this on her own terms and as she was apparently still mad at him… he realised he rather enjoyed her version of madness. Her hands moved to grab at his shoulders just at the moment that she tentatively traced the seam of his lips with her tongue.

_Oooo, you brazen little thing. Why does that surprise me after reading her…_

Nothing else mattered and thought completely left his considerably controlled mind as she moved closer to him again. She was flush against him, making him realise there was a slight move to her hips, rubbing against his trousers, against his cock and causing it to stir whilst her tongue attempted more firmly to gain entrance.

_Fuck it._ He finally thought and allowed her to feel both his moment of submission to her questing tongue and his hands grabbing at her waist, one of which then continuing its journey to her delightfully rounded and pert backside. He allowed her gentle intrusion into his mouth, enjoyed the sensation of her unhurried exploration but after barely a minute it wasn't enough and he grasped her tighter and rather than his own tongue dancing with hers, he fought her for dominance. She gave in almost immediately and seemed rather happy to do so if the soft moan was anything to go by.

"Siiiiiiiiiir…"

"Professor! Professor!"

"Come quick. Hellllllp!"

Three teenage girls in black and green uniforms were hurtling toward Severus and Hermione at an alarming fast rate, all with panic stricken faces. They were fifth years by the look of it.

The kissing couple jumped apart and Hermione slunk away quickly to hide around a corner and listen to what had the younger witches so panicked. Slytherins were usually never so animated. Professor Snape was just straightening his robes and looking conspicuously around to make sure Hermione was out of sight, when the three young witches approached him.

"What is it?" He asked, no trace of their moment left in his voice, eyes or posture.

"It's Moon, sir. She's in the prefects bathroom, in the… in the bath. Peeves did something. Now she can't get out and the water keeps getting hotter."

Severus rolled his eyes.

_If it's not one thing, it's something else. When will I learn my lesson and bloody quit._

"OK. Miss Clawson, lead the way. Miss Dashon, please alert the Headmistress. I would not wish to embarrass Miss Moon by seeing her in a state of undress. Miss Snowdon, go to Madam Pomfrey for a cooling draught and a possible scalding salve, have her bring them straight to the prefect's bathroom."

"Yes, sir," came the chorus of teenage girl voices as they scattered to their various tasks.

Hermione shivered at the command in his delectable voice as he delegated instructions like an army squadron leader. She decided to get a little payback on Minerva for her betrayal. She wasn't truly that mad now that she thought about it. She'd got a soul-blinding kiss with Severus out of the whole thing and she had given her permission to show him after the fact. That didn't mean the Headmistresses didn't deserve a little payback.

Miss Dashon nervously walked toward Bruce the gargoyle and asked for emergency entrance. Hermione disillusioned herself and quickly moved behind the younger witch, nodding toward the gossiping brute of guardian. As Head Girl she could authorise things like this. Bruce accepted her authority and allowed them entrance.

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**A/N: Another chapter complete, back to bite size, sort of; another cliff-hanger, they're becoming a habit again. Oh how my coven is going to yell at me. Love it. I am sure you all may have guessed that I do it intentionally to wind them up. Never fear though, more soon.**

**As per the rules of our 100 Title Challenge, at least one Coven member had to be included in this fic and I chose four – myself included and took the bullet of being the one trapped in the bath and almost getting scalded to death – Billow Man to the rescue! **

**Love and Blessings**

**Moonbeam Out! x**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Welcome back, my lovelies, to story time with Moon. This is the tale of very clever, very good young witch who had a very special surprise for her very grumpy teacher. She wanted to stop him being grumpy and so she decided to give him a very special present….**

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Chapter 7

Severus gave a very relieved sigh as he sat in his wingback chair by the fire. It had been a very trying day. After releasing the fifth year girl from the scalding waters of the prefect's bath, inadvertently glimpsing more bright red skin of Miss Moon than he ever wished to, he went on to teach both sets of third year classes before finally reaching lunch, at which point he was quite starving after missing breakfast for the events of that morning.

He had tried steadfastly to avoid thinking of the scene outside the gargoyle all morning and it had proven to be quite the challenge despite his enviable powers of occlumency. He had managed to keep the thought of her soft, warm and insistent lips and how her perfectly shaped hips had fit perfectly in his hands from his mind for at least one minute of every five. He felt both very triumphant by the achievement of that one minute and an utter failure of the thought of the other four. And the cycle had repeated, all damn morning.

His first class after lunch, however, had avada'd this small achievement amidst failure into oblivion. The NEWT-level students had extended lessons to cover the high amount of coursework and these lessons ran for four hours. Today those four hours would be between two o'clock until six meaning that Severus had to endure Hermione Granger's understated yet completely arousing entrance into his classroom – glossy curls that spring from a loose bun on top of her head, exposing the sun-kissed skin of her perfect neck to his roving gaze. Her eyes had caught his for the briefest of instants as she walked confidently into the room and found a position directly in front of his desk. As she looked away, he noticed a blush steal across her high cheekbones and had to imagine Minerva in some of the scenes from Hermione's story to get his cock to stop stirring.

As the class continued, Severus had found himself unable to concentrate on anything but the hemline of her – he was sure shorter than yesterday – school issue pleated grey skirt where it met smooth, supple tanned thighs. He imagined running his tongue up each one in turn, slowly, as she panted and begged for him to move towards the point where they met.

Needless to say, by the time he watched her bounce out of his classroom like she had achieved something more than the two perfect potions he had assigned, Severus felt his suspicions rise as surely as his cock had. She must have done it on purpose – the bending over to retrieve a dropped ingredient or quill, the back of her skirt riding up just enough to reveal a scrap of Slytherin green lace between two perfect orbs of flesh.

When he was quite certain all the students had left, he quickly slipped into his office, spelled away his robes, released himself from his trousers and stoked himself to completion as he imagined sinking into her whilst she was bent over a classroom stool in that enticing manner she had managed to contort herself into no less than four times earlier. He was forty minutes late to the staff table at dinner time.

Sitting in his chair, replaying the last twenty-four hours of his life, he realised the brazen little thing had turned his perfectly ordered, if somewhat lonely life, completely upside down. She had wormed her way into his affections more and more since the war by offering to help him with afterhours brewing for the hospital wing and St Mungo's; at least three times in the last six months she had offered to tidy and help replenish his storeroom.

The first time, and second, he had harshly told her that given her penchant for stealing from said stores, he would hardly trust her to spend hours in there. He remembered thinking he saw a tear in her eye at the rejection but had thought nothing of it. Until now. As he remembered the third and last time she offered to help with the store room, only six weeks ago; how he had been grateful for the offer because he had to go to Diagon Alley for replacement cauldrons, it came to his mind how she had beamed at him for the opportunity and how that completely lit up face had dimmed when she realised he would not be there. The reason didn't occur to him before, but now…

"Now… what?" he asked himself as he poured himself a short glass of firewhiskey.

_What now, indeed? Should I officially attempt to court her? Do I want to court her? After that kiss, I could do a lot worse. She's intelligent too, we wouldn't lack conversation; she's certainly adventurous sexually, in her mind at least considering she's a virgin. A virgin. How utterly delicious to think I would be the only man to ever… oh Potter's face would be priceless. It's almost worth taking her just for that alone._

_And all those times she came down to the dungeons to 'help me'. Was she just trying to spend time with me? Was she studying me so my fictional doppelganger would be more realistic? If so then she is beyond the level of dedication and affection I would…_

A subtle ripple in the wards, followed by a gentle knock at the door to his quarters broke Severus from his pondering. Other than his Slytherin students, only Minerva would ever dare bother him after hours. He glanced at the clock - 9pm. What did the old tabby want now?

He grunted from the fatigue of the day and his knees popped as he stood and walked to the door. His eyes closed in a sigh as he opened the door…

"Whatever it is Minerva, I'll…" he stopped at the sight in front of him. It was not his boss but the curly haired, doe-eyed, beautiful…

"Miss Granger…" he began, falling back into old habits as he took in the slight sheen of gloss on her perfect lips as they trembled a little and the very light amount of green eyeshadow and thin line of liner. Beautifully understated to enhance her pretty features.

"Professor… erm… S-sever…" she looked down as if ashamed herself for even trying to speak to him privately. His heart cracked a little at the thought of her being so painfully desperate to see him that she would risk his rejection by coming to him alone whilst seeing in her slight act of submission that she still feared him.

"It's ok. Come on in and have a seat. We can have some tea and… erm… talk."

"Thank you, sir… erm… Severus." She said very quickly in a high voice as he stepped aside to permit her entry and she brushed past him.

"Please… have a seat." He said kindly as she stood just beyond the passage from his entry portrait like lost sheep. "I'll be just a moment."

He walked away only to collect his suddenly scattered nerves and waning composure. Under the guise of collecting a second glass for her, he moved deeper toward the kitchenette area of his chambers and summoned one.

He returned to the lounge area with surer strides and placed the second glass next to his own, pouring a small amount of firewhiskey into it before handing it to her. Hermione seemed very reticent about whatever she had visited the dungeon to say… or do. Severus gulped slightly at that thought; although, he reasoned mentally, _I am supposedly the more mature, experienced party here. Perhaps I should take the lead in initiating a… conversation?_

"I have a feeling this conversation may require something stronger than tea. Wouldn't you agree, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded and tentatively took the glass.

He noticed she was trembling and kept taking very deep breaths to calm herself. The feather-light brush of their fingers as she took the drink sent heated tingles spreading through him.

'_Get a grip, Sev. Don't push her too far',_ advised of the least Slytherin part of his mind.

'_She's gagging for it and so are you. Just kiss her again and see where it goes', _retorted its most Slytherin counterpart.

"I appreciate you coming by to see me. There are things we need to discuss regarding your…"

He stopped abruptly, following her hands as she placed the now empty glass on a stack on the thick tome of parchments that was _'The Wizard's Pleasure'_.

'_She has it back?'_ His mind questioned redundantly. _'But… but… when did she see Minerva? And why didn't the saucy old minx update me at dinner?'_

"Where did you get that from? I thought Minerva was still in possession of your manuscript?"

"C-can I… erm… can I trust you with the answer to that question, Severus? I've already been betrayed today by my Head of House. I don't think I could cope if you did to." She said, a little slowly but growing in confidence as she waved her wand and refilled it.

Instinctively, his eyes widened in surprise; whether it more at her very bold question or the way she seemed completely comfortable with helping herself to his liquor, he wasn't sure.

"S-sorry," she said, returning to stuttery. "I'm nervous."

"Quite alright, Miss… Hermione. This is an unusual situation for both of us and in answer to your question I would like to think myself worthy of your trust despite recent events involving the handling of certain pieces of literature. It was… erm… very well-written."

"Thank you." Hermione said shyly, averting her eyes. "When I was on the run last year, there was a lot of time sitting around thinking, trying to work out what the horcruxes were, where they were. I decided, in the hope that I would survive the war, to study as hard as my know-it-all reputation demands. By the time I returned here in September, I had every book memorised. In the last six months no piece of homework has taken me longer than forty-minutes. With very little to do in the evenings or at weekends I started documenting musings I had, daydreams, actual dreams…"

Severus noticed her blush at this point as she stopped to take a few deep breaths.

"I hope you don't consider it too impertinent, Sir, to have had these thoughts about you… such… erm… feelings. It's just that I didn't even notice it at first and then by the time I did I couldn't help it. I couldn't stop myself from thinking of you."

"Please… Hermione…" he began, reaching across the space between their chairs to grasp her hand, "Don't make yourself uneasy. I am in no way offended by your interest. In fact, I am rather flattered. It has been a long time since anyone has looked twice as the old bat of the dungeons."

He had hoped to lighten the mood with a little self-deprecating humour, despite feeling his words to be too true but instead he saw her eyes moisten as she squeezed his fingers where they had wrapped into her palm.

"That's not true, Sir. You'd be surprised. A lot of the girls in sixth and seventh year…"

"Stop!" He cried, a little more harshly than he intended if how she winced was any indication. "I apologise for raising my voice; I'd just rather not know exactly how many girls fail at their potions in my classroom because they are busy staring at my behind."

Hermione giggled, in spite of herself.

"Well, Sir, it's a very nice behind." She replied quickly, blushing.

"If you are to be believed, which as the Brightest Witch of Her Age, I understand you are, then I must take your word for it. And please, Hermione, stop calling me Sir. It is unseemly given recent developments."

The girl finally looked up at him and her smile lit the room. She drained her glass and held it out to him.

"May I have another, Severus?"

Her voice held much more confidence this time and he nodded to her as he took the glass. Again, their fingers brushed briefly but now he was paying more attention and this time he heard Hermione's breath hitch at the moment of contact.

"I didn't realise you were so partial to alcohol Hermione. You have kept your dark side well hidden." He offered as another atmosphere lightening remark, with a smirk.

She laughed a little before replying and he felt, more than saw the tension completely leave her.

"Granted I don't wear it quite as openly as you do, Severus but it was never completely hidden. You heard about Marietta Edgecombe, right? Dolores the meowing-toad-bitch Umbridge? And then there was that amazing, if I do say so myself, right hook I planted on Malfoy in third year for being a complete arse."

He raised a surprised eyebrow.

"I see. So perhaps I have misjudged the insufferable Gryffindor know-it-all and she is just as dark as I?"

He watched as the girl warred with herself over whether to say something cheeky or not. After a few second she took on a very nonchalant pose and expression as she let rip.

"Oh please…" She began; a smirk gracing her lips to show she was teasing as she looked him directly in the eyes. "Your darkness is all in the billowing of robes and the shiver-inducing countenance of that sinful voice of yours. The hair and the eyes contribute too of course but it's all appearance. Under those robes you're as bright and sparkly as a unicorn. "

Gone, was the tentative, shy young woman who walked into his chambers fifteen minutes ago who screamed virgin-visiting-her-crush from every pore. Before him now, was the confident, beautiful lioness that embodied humour, wit, intelligence and the most beguiling eyes he had ever seen.

Knowing this was the moment for his Slytherin side to strike; he stood slowly from his chair and took the few short steps to stand before her. His crotch, he realised belatedly now lined up perfectly with her face and at that realisation it began to pull blood from the rest of his body.

"It seems," He began, leaning over her and placing a hand on either arm of her chair, "… that the consumption of liquor brings out the famed bravery of your noble house. Tell me, Hermione, are you feeling like the little lioness you are now that you have relaxed enough in my… what was it you wrote… ah, yes… _my stunningly_ _mesmerising presence_."

He had purposely lowered his voice a full octave after her comment about how sinful it was and now he watched the astonishing effect it had on her as goose-pimples erupted over all of her visible flesh and she swallowed audibly.

Unable to help himself at her reaction, he smirked, taking in the way her pupils blew wide open at his words; how he felt her fidget a little and then as he moved infinitesimally closer a sound he had been longing to hear until he had read about it almost twenty-four hours ago, left her lips. It was a cross between a soft mewling and desperate whimper. It broke the thin thread of control he had been holding onto since she arrived and in the next second, with no thought of what it meant or where it would lead, he had grabbed either side of his face in both hands and pulled her up on to her feet into a searing kiss.

Whilst their meeting-of-the-lips had been tentative and tender this morning, the current state of their lips could only be described as desperate and animalistic. Severus found himself swept up in urges he had never felt before in his life, not even as a teenager; he felt the need to possess her, devour her, claim every inch of her as his.

Her hands grabbed at his robes, holding him as close to her as she could whilst her lips and tongue and teeth slid and bit and danced with his. There was no doubt in either of their brilliant minds that there would be bruised lips tomorrow.

In a moment of inspiration which sparked somewhere within the dominant haze of lust she was experiencing, Hermione moved her mouth sideways, taking her kisses to his slightly pinked cheek, along the curve of his sharply angled, slightly rough jaw before running the flat of her tongue down his still tender neck. He shuddered with more pleasure than he believed possible as she laved the sensitive skin of his Nagini-bitten scar.

"I want you… so much." She gasped as he moved his hands forcefully down her sides to grab her hips and pull her flush against his impressive erection that strained for release. Both of them groaned at the sensation.

"Then… I am… yours." He managed to utter, though it strained him to put words together.

At his complete surrender, Hermione felt her inner lioness roar with confidence. She began working him back toward his chair and when his knees hit the seat, he felt her hands push against his chest with all the force her lithe body could conjure. He toppled slightly backwards and landed with a slight thud on his arse, not that he could care less as he was now sitting once more before the fire with Hermione Granger settling herself on her knees between his legs.

"Now…" she said seductively, sounding more confident than she felt and licking her lips as she walked her finger up his left thigh, "there is something I have wanted to try for about three years and I think, as I have been so very patient, that I get what I want."

Severus looked down at her – pupils blown wide with lust, fingers dancing up his thigh, her red halter-top dipping deliciously low into a beautiful creamy cleavage – and wasn't sure how much more he could take. Given her confidence, he was beginning to doubt her word about the state of her hymen but it wasn't something he was about to bring up now as she started to palm he hand against the swelling bulge now so very available to her.

He gasped at the sudden contact and saw her smirk with triumph.

_Little minx._

"And what might it be that you want?" He asked slowly, punctuating each word in his signature drawl.

"I think you know, Severus." Hermione replied huskily, barely recognising her own voice.

"Ob-vi-ous-ly."

She shuddered at that.

"But I want to hear you say it."

Severus was unaware of how she could possibly still feel enough shyness or embarrassment to blush, considering her written words, her wanton seduction of the last ten minutes and where her small hand currently sat, massaging his engorged flesh, but there it was; bright pink cheeks of a heady flush which seemed to be heading south as she squirmed delightfully under his heated gaze.

"Come now, Hermione… you write the words of what you want so eloquently, I needed to take care of all this for myself last night. Tell me what you want Hermione."

Hermione moaned out loud as his silken voice travelled over and through her, stoking the fire that was already raging so much further. She stared down at his groin, watching herself stroke and caress her cloth-covered goal.

"I want… I want to…"

"Yes?"

"I want, I need to… taste you Severus. Every inch of you. I want to kiss your rock hard, bulging, pulsing…"

"Say it…"

"COCK! I want it! I want your cock. I want it in my mouth, I want suck it deep into my throat, I want to make you groan and grunt and thrust between my lips as if I am the only thing that can bring you pleasure. I want to lick and kiss and tease you until you can barely breathe and I've have been wanting it since fifth year."

Her voice had risen in both volume and conviction as she spoke animatedly and with more enthusiasm than she had for even 'Hogwarts: A History' about the depth of her desire for his cock. He was hard beyond comprehension and could barely wait for her to act of her words but he couldn't resist just one little prod at that urge to rile her equilibrium. When he said it, he had no idea he would get back what he did…

"Miss Granger, all you had to do was ask, my little know-it-all."

Hermione's eyes darted to him, narrowing as she moved her arms to cross under her breasts.

"You know," she began, voice husky with desire but appearing also a little put out by his words, "You are so very I lucky I love you, otherwise I would stop doing this and…"

Realising what she'd said in her moment of sassy self-righteousness with a 'I need to prove myself' chaser, Hermione slapped a hand across her mouth, screwed her eyes tightly shut to block out the sight of Severus's dawning comprehension and dropped her head in 'ohmerlinwhathaveIdone' shame.

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**A/N: Unfortunately, just before the young witch could give her grumpy teacher his present, she got frozen in time by Moon (who is a very, very, bad witch). The only way to break the spell Moon has cast on the good witch and her grumpy teacher is to tell her how much you love her stories in the special box below which she made so you can tell her.**

**As always I wish to thank my Coven for their support and prompting, allowing me to keep Severus for long periods of time to get this written. Dash, Claw, Snow… and our newest members/friends Diva, Jinx, Vine and Nyxx… you are all the light of life and tremendous inspirations for me to keep writing day in and day out. Love you all.**

**Love & Blessings**

**Moon Out x**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Ok, the first thing I need to say in introducing you to this chapter is LEMON ALERT! LEMON ALERT! LEMON ALERT! Now, I didn't quite bottom out the lemons to full – is the pun too obvious if I say 'penetration'? Oh, fuck it! There's an M-rating, you knew it was coming – penetration but there is an almost everything but quality to the lemons and there is some humour mixed in as well, especially the second one.**

**Inspiration notification for this goes to my lovely Coven sister Vine for the inspiration of wording along the lines of 'exquisite torture' which is part of something she wrote and as both words are in the same sentence somewhere below, shout-out needed to be given.**

**Thank you to everyone who has, followed, favourited, reviewed, inspired, and pushed and bugged for me to get more chapters out faster than I ever have before. All the support and love is appreciated and look how I reward you for it all… with delicious Snapey lemons. So without further ado, please go and enjoy said Snapey lemons…**

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Chapter 8

Severus Snape was a complicated man. He had suffered through a childhood inclusive of an alcoholic and violent father and a mother who, though a witch, never seemed able to stand up to the tyranny of her husband. The memories of his past flashed at the forefront of his mind as he watched with wide eyes, Hermione Granger declaring her love for him on her knees at his feet. He felt simultaneously overjoyed by the words she spoke which no woman had ever bestowed upon him and overwhelmingly sadness that his parents had never had a loving relationship, the one his Hermione seemed to be offering. He decided in that moment that he would never allow her to doubt that his love was reciprocated, because it was only in that very moment that he realised it was.

"Hermione…" he said softly, though his voice was gravelly and rough with the not-forgotten lust of mere seconds before.

She shook her head, refusing to look at him.

"Please, Hermione. Look at me." He begged.

"I can't. What was I thinking? You're so… so… amazing." She gasped through the obvious tears she was trying to hide. "And I'm just some… some… insufferable little know-it-all who thought it would be a good idea to throw herself at the Professor she's been in love with for three years. I'm… I'm sorry…" She wailed as she got up to run towards the portrait hole of his chambers.

Severus didn't quite understand what had happened. She had given that stellar and very seductive declaration of her intentions toward his still painfully hard erection; he had teased it out of her and hoped to reward her vocalising her wants for once by giving her exactly what she wanted with his acquiescence. He had been bowled over by her further declaration that she was in love with him. The manuscript had told him as much and she had even informed Minerva of her feelings for him… so why was she suddenly fleeing.

The answer dawned on his just as she reached the archway that led to the corridor which would take her out of the portrait and out of his life. He just knew that if he let her walk out that door, no amount of explanation and feelings would bring her back. It was too easy to forget, given what she had been through over the last few years, that the war heroine, Gryffindor Princess, brains of the Golden Trio and defender of the down-trodden was only nineteen, had, much like himself, never been in a lasting romantic relationship and was still learning how to share such feelings.

He reached for her hand as he caught up with her just as she was about to leave the portrait and whirled her around into his arms… kissing the top of her head. At once, he was overwhelmed with the scent of her shampoo – cherry bark and almond – and the lingering honey and musk, fragrant remains of her arousal.

"_I'm_ sorry, Hermione. I should have said it back immediately. I felt it back. I feel it now; a love for you that I never dared hope for or believe I deserve. I was overwhelmed by the ferocity of your seduction; I still am in truth. Please come back to fire and we can perhaps slow things down a little so we can progress together."

She sniffled and nodded against his chest, not quite trusting her voice yet as he stroked soothing circles on her bare back. At her agreement, he guided her back to the lounge area but seated them both of leather sofa which matched the chairs.

"I think… I think I need could do with another drink… please." She whispered slowly.

"Do you think that's wise, my little lioness? I have never been more assured of the accuracy of the muggle phrase 'whisky makes you frisky'."

She giggled through her little sniffs and he squeezed her closer to him until she had no choice but to sit on his lap and smiled as she shuffled herself around to straddle him.

"No one would ever guess you were a virgin, Hermione, from the way you are acting tonight. I can't be completely convinced I heard right in Minerva's office."

"Oh my God, you really did hear everything," she cried, burying her face at the crease of his shoulder and neck as it was the only place to hide her blushes. "Bruce was right."

"That gossiping lump of concrete should not have been so indiscreet. Whilst I take full responsibility for my part in upsetting you and I'm sure Minerva will admit to hers, _Bruce_ is a coarse and callous git who was enchanted by the bloody Marauders."

She giggled again against the delicate skin of his neck and he shivered involuntarily, causing his hips to thrust upward slightly against Hermione's core as it rested with a little pressure right on his once again painful and straining erection. She felt the pulse and ground against him with complete intent.

"You like that, don't you Severus?" She whispered in his ear. "I can tell. You feel so hard beneath me."

To prove her point, she ground against him again, adding more pressure than last time and shivered as the resulting groan vibrated through her whole body.

"If you continue with such actions, Hermione, the idea of slowing things down is going to fly directly out of the window."

Severus felt her smirk against his neck before running the tip of her tongue along the shell of his ear and stealthily, but not quite stealthily enough, began to unhook the buttons of his outer robe.

"The slow-down idea was yours Severus, not mine. I have never wanted anything as much in my life as I want you; not my NEWTs, not the death of someone I won't mention because he doesn't deserve to spoil the mood and definitely not the idea of slowing down. I just needed a few moments to compose myself. Now… are we staying here or are you carrying me to your bedroom?"

Refusing to upset her again and unable to restrain himself any longer, he moved his hands from their resting place on her hips up to her waist and made to stand picking her up.

"Your wish is my command, my beautiful Kia." He said in the deepest voice he could muster as she wrapped her legs around his sides and kissed him just how she had fantasised about doing since her fifth year.

Severus strode to his bedroom and laid Hermione down at the edge of his large four poster bed, topped with a deep green spread, crisp white sheets and a warming charm.

"Now, I know from earlier how desperate you are to get your lips around my cock, which is currently rather insistent that I let you follow through with that wish. However…" he said, slowly, seductively as he ran his hands up her denim clad legs to her hips. "I think it only fair, that I get to taste you first."

Hermione almost wept at the feel of his hands gliding upward and she actually threw her head back and moaned as he released the fastenings on her jeans. She could feel heat building in her abdomen at his words; the sheer anticipation almost had her breaking into a squeal of delight. And then she felt it… his fingers slipping into the waistband of her lacy, racy, shorts-style Slytherin green knickers. His fingertips crept closer, causing involuntary indescribable noises to escape her lips.

He grasped the waistband of her knickers in his other hand and smirked at the colour…

"Are these for me, my beautiful sweet Kia?" He asked, running a thumb gently along the top of her pubis as his other hand continued their quest between her fold, feeling the liquid heat of her need for him.

"Please… Severus…" she gasped. "Don't make me wait… please. I've waited so long. I'm yours… all yours… take me."

She sounded desperate, needy, and Severus abandoned his plan to tease her until she was incoherent; he wanted her to stay as present as possible for this. With a wave of his hand, he wandlessly vanished her clothes along with his own robes, shirt, shoes and trousers, leaving her naked and him in only his black satin boxers.

Hermione shivered beautifully at the caress of cool air on her skin and the sight of her heart's desire, her every fantasy dipping his head and running his wicked tongue, just as he had hoped for earlier, slowly up her left thigh. When he reached the top, the crease where her leg thigh met the well-trimmed curls of her mound, he placed a tender kiss there, making her flinch a little as it was a sensitive spot before he kept right on going; licking directly around her clit, which was extended and throbbing, making her moan loudly and around to the crease on the opposite side. There he placed another kiss before journeying back down her right thigh.

She whimpered again as he placed more kisses, alternating between her inner thighs, working his way back up to her needy clit and dripping sex. He could smell her arousal and it made his own cock throb in earnest and leak against its tented silken prison as he positioned himself more securely on his knees at the end of the bed and pulled her by the bottom flush to his lips.

The gasp she let out at the contact was audible and beautiful and urged him to set to work. Holding her hips steady in his hands he began the dance between his tongue and her sweet, greedy folds. Her scent was intoxicating, the heat of her intense and moisture, she was so, so wet. Severus couldn't claim vast experience but he couldn't imagine anything more liquefied that the sight before him. She was slick with arousal and at his first taste, the dipping of his tongue into her exquisitely tight quim, he heard her…

"Oh… oh Severus. That feels wonderful. Please don't stop. Never… oh sweet Merlin… please never… stop."

He smiled against her twitching nether lips and ran his tongue in a long swipe from just below where she was opening to him like a flower to the sun, up to her quivering clit. Severus found himself extremely glad he had such a tight hold on her hips, which was more to keep his own desire in check that to hold her down, but the it was the latter use that became more necessary. With every touch his tongue made to her clit, she bucked violently against him, and when he slid a single digit, followed by a second into the tightest, most self-lubricated sleeve of life he had ever experience or imagined, whilst he simultaneously locked onto her highly sensitive bundle of nerves, she tensed immediately beneath him, squealed so shrilly he feared she would wake the entire castle, then breathed his name as she jerked and shuddered to completion.

Hermione lay still, unable to think clearly as she felt the pleasant ache of using her intimate, previously dormant muscles. Every inch of her body was lethargic, her bones felt hollow, he skin felt slick and hot as she finally found her way back to earth. It felt impossible to describe how she'd felt under the ministrations of Severus's mouth and fingers and she wouldn't even realise until much later that evening that certain things in her manuscript would need to be completely re-written.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Severus's deep voice washed over her from outside of her satisfied haze, sounding full of concern but so sexy from right beside her.

She nodded, still not quite back.

He stroked down her side, causing an extra shiver.

"You are so beautiful when you come undone for me. I could watch you climax all day and night and never need to scowl a day."

Hermione gave a slight laugh that lacked energy.

"Have I worn you out, my little lioness? You're half my age."

"I'll be fine in a minute, just basking in the afterglow of how amazing you are." She said dreamily, not really paying any attention to anything other than the thrum of her body and the ticklish sensation of Severus's fingers up and down her side. He could tell she would be asleep momentarily and chose not to wake her; his erection had waited a long time for this, it could wait a little longer. He wanted to treat her like princess she was and not push her too far. Pursuing her on her terms would be what allowed him to keep her.

* * *

Hermione awoke two hours after she had drifted into her post-orgasmic blissed-out sleep. Severus was asleep, flat on his back with the fingers of one hand twisted into her curls. She looked over his slim body, taut with muscles accurate to her imaginings, his face in shadow.

She leaned in on her elbows to kiss his lips softly and then careful to only touch him with her mouth and tongue worked her way down his neck, over his chest, licking gently, exploratorily at his nipples. His breath quickened at this and she sensed his consciousness stirring but she knew if she stopped, she'd lose her nerve and so thinking of something she'd read in her mother's naughty books, she nibbled at the tiny, pale pink, bordering on beige nipple disks as heard his breath catch in his throat.

She grinned a little at the thought of affecting him so and as she alternated between licking and nibbling at one and then the other, she let her fingers travel toward the shifting silk of his boxers and the goal of her three year quest to finally please the man who was beginning shiver beneath her gentle ministrations.

Severus feigned sleep, allowing her to continue her leisurely exploration of his body. She licked along every scar on his torso whilst her fingers danced along his hardening shaft, switching between fingertip caresses and palming strokes. Just her breath over his abdomen was both heaven and hell, exquisite and torturous as she inched closer to where his dick felt like it could pump iron.

Just as her lips reached the waistband, that her un-busy hand was pulling down, she paused and he sensed her face turn up towards his. _An attack of conscience perhaps? Unsure if I'm awake?_

"Don't stop now, witch. You're just getting to the good part." He said in his usual resonant baritone which was thick with lust and sleep as he attempted to reassure her that he was very content for her to continue.

The fingers that were currently curled around the middle of his rock hard cock, flexed a little, her grip tightening as if to say, 'Yes I know that, you git. I am the ultimate know-it-all after all. Your know-it-all'. In all honesty it wasn't just the grip that told him that, so did her mind as he mentally skimmed the imaginings of her frontal lobe.

With no further encouragement needed from either of them, she lowered her mouth to the purplish nob of pulsing mushroom headed feast before her and without ceremony or censure enveloped it within her longing lips.

It took a second or two for Hermione to focus on what she was doing; the velvet skin and smooth silky hardness was a revelation and something she couldn't have imagined correctly if she tried. He felt beautiful and thick between her lips and as she swiped her tongue tentatively into the slitted end, tasting the first drops of his tangy essence and began to carefully squeeze her lips tighter together and attempt sucklage, she heard his gasp and groan as he grabbed at the bedding with his large calloused hands.

Fascinated by his reaction, she constricts her mouth a little tighter and rubs the flat of her tongue against the underside of the head, something she read in a book and looks up for his reaction. She watches his stomach tense as he tries to maintain control.

"Hermione…" his voice is strangled, breathless.

Loosening her constrictions as it seems a little much for him to be constant, she thinks back quickly to the books she's read to research in preparation for this moment. _Okay, move up and down. I can do that. Don't forget his balls. Well, okay. They don't look too scary and if he likes it then… what was the other thing… oh right, behind his balls, massaging. Okay… moving up and down first I think, let's master the basics…_

Hermione let her lips loosen considerably more, and with her tongue firmly pressed against that big puling vein at the back, slid Severus's wizardhood deeper into her mouth. As it hit the opening to her throat, she hummed a little at the sensation. She knew she didn't have to worry about her tonsils (having had them removed as a child) or a gag-reflex which had never been something she suffered with and so pushed on. Humming to open and vibrate her throat, she swallowed a few times to cause a constriction sensations for him, just like the books said and heard him gasping and grabbing at the bed sheets again.

"Oh, sweet Salazar… Hermione… oh yes… if you... fuck… if you keep that up… Merlin… I'm not going to last."

Hermione felt ecstatic with herself, positively giddy at the thought she had pushed him almost to the point of orgasm so quickly, not quite fully aware that he had been half on the edge of orgasm since he read her manuscript. She thought back to her notes for an effective withdrawal method and smirked mentally as she settled on something feather light… and dragged her teeth lightly, slowly back up his aching shaft.

"Hermione… oh fuck… how the fuck can you… holy hippogryffs… how do you know how to do this so well?"

She had constricted her mouth around the head again as she reached the top and to answer this question you released it with a loud pop.

"Research, Severus." She said with a cheeky grin. "You know me, know-it-all of the century; always got her nose stuck in a book." Every word was uttered proudly as she continued to tease him with her hands; one wrapping around his shaft to pump him at an even pace, allowing him to regain his breath, the other tentatively curling around his balls to experiment with how much to pressure to apply to make him…

_To make him do that… oh this is so much fun!_

She thought as he threw his head back, gasping.

"Hermione, I'm going to come in ten seconds if you don't… too late… oh fuuuuuuck!" He said, his body stiffening, his cock pulsing as thick ribbons of white erupted from him in long, arching spurts.

Hermione slowed her semen-covered hand as his expulsions lessened. He was panting; his eyes were screwed shut but becoming less so and his head was thrown back so that when he did open his eyes, they would be looking at the headboard.

"Wow…" she said, awe in her voice as she removed took her hands back.

Severus didn't move for a moment… the laboured rise and fall of his chest the only indication he was conscious.

Hermione sighed contentedly.

"I really enjoyed watching that. It's so much more dramatic than I imagined. I love how you get all tense right before… Severus… you really are magnificent."

She heard a sigh come from him as he started to shift into a more comfortable position and bring his gaze to her naked form, kneeling just by his ankles.

"Hermione, you have quite the talent for… dear Merlin… what are you…?"

"I was curious. You came after I removed my mouth so I didn't know what it tasted like. It's cooled a bit now though. I really think I'd prefer it direct from the source." She said saucily, her eyes darting quickly to the gently deflating 'source'.

"Fuck woman…" he said, rolling his eyes back to the ceiling. "You're going to be the death of me. Wipe the rest on the covers and come here."

She waited until he looked at her again before licking the last of his essence from her palm with a long slow swipe of her tongue before crawling up the bed towards him.

"Witch, have mercy. I'm almost forty."

"Yes sir." She said in the middle of a laugh.

He tapped her on the bottom lightly before pulling her into his arms from behind.

"Mmmmm," came her soft sigh as she snuggled into him. "This feels nice. I like this side of you."

"You're the only one who will ever see it."

Hermione stroked the hand he placed on his stomach.

"Good."

Hermione had just dosed off to the sound of Severus's light snoring when she heard a strange roaring sound coming from the other room.

_That sounds like floo flames but surely, Severus shut the floo off._

"Severus…" she said quietly, not sure how heavy a sleeper he was. He didn't stir.

"Sev…" she tried, a little louder, placing a hand on his bare shoulder. He made a sound in the back of his throat.

_Third time lucky…?_

"Severus… someone's here. They've come through the floo." Nothing.

"Ok, fine. You'd think an ex-spy would be more alert. You asked for this. I only know one way to successfully wake you up and this is it. If we get caught, it's entirely your fault."

Hermione pulled back his duvet, crawled down to straddle his knees and lowered her head once more to his flaccid cock. Holding it up with one hand, she swirled her tongue around the head while she gently pumped it to life, her other hand reaching around his balls to massage just behind them. Every few seconds her eyes flicked o face to check the state of consciousness etched on his features.

"My God… witch, you're insatiable." He said with a smirk.

She released him with a pop and a scowl.

"It's not that Severus, it's just I there's someone…"

"Severus, are you here?" Minerva's voice came to their ears, muffled through the door. "I need your help with Hermione's manuscript. It's missing."

"Oh shit. It's on the coffee table." Hermione sounded panicked.

"Never mind that. You can't be found here, Hermione. You're still a student and I am still your Professor."

"I'm not ashamed of loving you Severus and I'm not afraid if she knows." She said confidently, reaching for her clothes.

"Stay here." He demanded. "I'll be back…" His sentence was cut off, mid-donning a black velvet bathrobe as the Headmistresses voice was suddenly much louder when his bedroom door swung open.

"Severus, are you awake? Get up! Hermione's manuscript is…" Minerva's eyes when comically wide as she took in the sight of her naked Head Girl on the bed on her disrobed Potions Master. "Miss Granger, what on earth are you doing here?"

"Erm…" Hermione stuttered, stalling for time.

"Erm…" Echoed the Potions Master, wondering if he was about to lose his job.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, this chapter was quite the slog to get written. As much as I love reading lemons, it is hard to write them. I actually had to ask my Coven for synonyms for cock towards the end there. Brain well and truly friend now. One more chapter to go before the epilogue and then a surprise bonus thing at the end.**

**Once again, I have gifted you with a very fun cliff hanger to keep you all coming back for Chapter 9. Please follow, favourite and review if you don't already. I live for reviews and if you want to see what my Coven things of this fic, please check out their reviews once you are up to date because they are wonderful and hilarious and I love them.**

**Love and Lemony Blessings**

**Moon Out! x **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'd like to apologise for my delay in posting this chapter… I went from at least one chapter a day down to a three day gap. My only excuse is work and how my job tends to kill my muse. Except when I look at yoghurt on the shelves… that just gives me the urge to kill Ron off in all fics. **

**I'd like to thank my Coven for the idea of Minerva's distress, especially Nyxx, Vine and Dash who helped me earlier with an annoying case of 'now what the fuck do I do?'. Your thoughts are appreciated greatly asn as you will see taken on board.**

**Without further ado, here is the most epic speech I have ever written for Hermione.**

* * *

Chapter 9

"Miss Granger, I think you should get dressed." Minerva said, averting her eyes from the younger witch. "Severus, you really should've known better than to go after a student. I know I told you that I would be more than happy for the two of you to pursue a relationship once she is my apprentice but starting one now is grounds for being removed from your position at Hogwarts."

At hearing this, Hermione, who had just gathered her clothes from the floor and was heading for the bathroom to get dressed, whirled around and crossed her arms across her bare chest in indignation.

"You will not fire Severus for this. If you must know, not that it's any of your business; _I_ came here tonight, _uninvited_, with the intention of seducing _him_. He had no idea that I had planned to do so and considering this whole thing is even possible because _you_ shared my story with him _before_ you had my permission to do so, you can take a large chunk of the blame for yourself."

"Miss Granger…" the Headmistress began, in her most formidable voice, "You will do well to remember who you are talking to. We may have become closer since the war but I expect you to respect my position as Severus's boss and your Headmistress. You are a Hogwarts Head Girl and you should be setting an example for the younger students, not chasing after your fancy man. Therefore, you will either apologise for that outburst or I will see you in detention. Now get dressed and return to your dorms."

Severus watched on silently at the staring match between two of the most formidable witches of his acquaintance. It was quite the spectacle to witness. Hermione stood with her hands on her hips, baring her uncovered chest unashamedly and staring both in shock and annoyance at the Headmistress. Minerva had her usual, thin-lipped expression of disapproval and hard eyes focused solely on Hermione, telling the younger witch to back down. The seasoned lioness versus the newest member of the adult pride.

"First of all," the younger lioness began, her temper evident in her blazing eyes, her determined stance and the fact that she seemed to have forgotten she naked, "… the only person who needs to apologise, _Headmistress_, is you. You gave my manuscript to Severus, knowing that I expressly wasn't ready for anyone else to read it and especially him. I was mortified when your gossiping git of a gargoyle told me that not only was Severus the chair I was sitting on in your office this morning, which by the way, for you to do that to either of us is beyond creepy; but, also that he collected my manuscript from you yesterday. I am beyond appalled that the woman I have looked up to for almost a decade, the mentor I have aspired to emulate for my entire life in the magical world has both betrayed my trust and the trust of the man I love more than anything in this world. Under the circumstance Minerva, I am hereby withdrawing my acceptance to be your apprentice. I will also not be bullied, threatened or blackmailed into ending my association with Severus; as such, if it so offends your delicate sensibilities for me to be with him, I will withdraw from Hogwarts and take my NEWTs independently. I am more than prepared for them already."

"Hermione…" Severus spoke for the first time in a while as he watched Minerva's jaw go slack at Hermione's accusations. "I think that may be going too far. I appreciate your concern for my career and indeed your love for…"

"Severus, if I were to return, with my NEWTs in September, would you take me on as an apprentice? You know my abilities in Potions far outweigh the rest of the student body and I would like a mentor and Master I can trust. I was going to ask you anyway; if anyone can handle a double Mastery, it's me but with how I feel right now, I just don't think I could work with the current Transfiguration Mistress and not throttle her and as there has been quite enough death in the last few years, I'd rather not take the risk of causing more."

"Now, wait just a minute…" Minerva started to retort, mirroring her opponent, placing her hands on her hips.

"No! Minerva, I don't know if you are aware of this but you were mistaken when you considered me almost twenty. I am in fact twenty-two… today if you take in actual amount of time lived through the last seven years when looking at it in a linear fashion. I used the time turner in my third year for more study than anyone realised. By the time I handed it back, I had read every book on the curriculum for all seven academic years, as well as over half of the entire Hogwarts library. I turned seventeen and have been legally of age since near the end of my third year. I have been brewing anti-aging potions of increasing potency since that time and of my own creation. I could tell what would end up happening with the war; I knew snake-face would return, that it was only a matter of time; I knew that it would be up to Harry to destroy him and that Harry wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of finding and destroying horcruxes without help and guidance which I also knew we wouldn't be granted nearly enough of. I set about growing up in the time I was allotted so that I could at least be of more use when that time came and it's a good bloody job I did because to be perfectly honest, if I wasn't I'm not entirely sure how many people who did survive would actually be here.

I am not over-exaggerating my opinion of myself here either which I can tell you are thinking, Severus. As much as you may like this new development in our relationship, I am quite sure you still think I have an inflated sense of my own worth but think about it… I saved your life in the shrieking shack and whilst I will never ever call in that life-debt because I respect you far too much to do so and believe you have been through quite enough binding promises to last a life time, without the techniques I learned that year – both muggle and magical – you would not be here. Did anyone ever tell you exactly what I did to save your life?"

Severus shook his head, unwilling to interrupt her tirade. He was finding her verbal attack on Minerva highly amusing and more ballsy than anyone he had ever known. That she was doing it all for him – well for that he could let her assumptions about what he was thinking slide, especially since they were true. Know-it-all that she is.

"Well, let me tell you… I sealed your wounds with dittany, force-fed you the Nagini anti-venin I had created from a scale of hers I collected when she almost killed Harry and I at Godric's Hollow. Then I put your body in stasis, opened up my own veins magically to give you a blood transfusion whilst feeding myself a blood-replenishing potion. Then, I repaired and cleaned your clothes whilst you were unconscious, cleared your blood from the floor so that none of the remaining Death Eaters could use it in compulsion magics and transfigured a raggedy old curtain into a full sized stretcher for you… and then I came back to the castle to help Harry win the war.

I am not being falsely prideful by any of these actions. I am extremely proud of what I achieved that day and the reason I did all of it Severus…" she looked into his eyes as she continued, "…is because I love you and I cannot bear to be apart from you for another day so if my being a student is going to cause so much trouble then I am beyond ready to stop being a Hogwarts student and start being your apprentice and hopefully, girlfriend. Now, it seems my time here, for now at least, is done and I'm getting chilly." She finished by wandlessly adorning herself in her clothes and heading towards the portrait door, from where she summoned her wand with a clock of her fingers.

"I'm going to collect my belongings and my trunk and head home. Don't worry about the floo or train, I can apparate from beyond the gates and I shall write to the Head of Magical Education and Testing at the Ministry first thing in the morning. It's too late now. Minerva, I'm sorry you feel you can't trust me or Severus to know our own minds, hearts and bodies in this matter but you know as well as I do that calling me a seventh year student at my age is silly and regardless of that the students know that I am not some silly teenager with a schoolgirl crush; I am very rarely 'silly' about anything. My academic achievement speaks for itself and that is the example I set for my peers, especially since as far as they are concerned, I gained such qualifications without the manipulation of time.

If I am needed to sign any parchments in regard to my leaving school early, I would prefer to only deal with Severus; also Severus…" she asked questioningly, walking toward him and placing a kiss on his cheek, "please owl me tomorrow and let me know if you would be willing to apprentice me. If not, I understand. I can maybe ask Professor Flitwick or try for an apprenticeship at Beauxbaton. Good evening."

And she walked out.

Both Minerva and Severus stared at the dark corridor Hermione had just disappeared into, astonished. The girl who had never raised her voice to a teacher, never been comfortable with breaking the rules like her friends and had achieved the highest score on every test since she was eleven had just let rip at the Headmistress no less and walked straight out of formal education. For Severus Snape.

Shaking out of his shock first, Severus cleared his throat and in his most authoritative voice, said only two word before billowing out of his quarters towards his… well… his girlfriend.

"Fix this!"

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**A/N: I have been writing fan fiction for almost a year now and this is very nearly the easiest chapter I have ever written. The top spot of that list belongs to Chapter 1 or Blood to Blood on my personal profile. I really hope you liked it. If you did, please drop a review below and/or a follow or favourite. Your thoughts are always appreciated.**

**Love & Rant-y Blessings**

**Moon Out! x**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello my lovelies. I realised as I was weaving the scenes of this chapter together that I've actually reached Chapter 10. Not incredulous on its own, I'm sure you'll agree but… as I had originally planned to finish this fic at ten chapters, I have ended up once more going crazy and letting the characters run the asylum that is my brain. Hopefully, I can regain control at some point and get this baby sedated and strapped down by the time I hit maybe chapter 13. Unable to end a fic at 13 due to my weird OCD tendencies, 'deleted scenes' and then an Epilogue, will take us nicely up to 15 to complete. I can live with that.**

**Now, just for a little heads up to my beautiful, wonderful, talented Coven who support me in all of my writing and then the rest of my life too… there is a wonderful little cameo coming up in this chapter for one of you with your Hogwarts crush so please enjoy that. And now, on with the show…**

…

Chapter 10

Severus left Minerva standing in his quarters, confident that despite their current disagreement, she would ward his rooms carefully. He headed straight toward Gryffindor Tower where Hermione's private Head Girl dorm was situated on the first floor, just off the common room, sure that he could reach her before she left for the gates.

Unfortunately, he was not surprised when luck was not as on his side as it had been earlier in the evening. On this particularly important-for-his-love-life journey he was forced to not only break up two incidents of heavy petting in quiet alcoves, making him feel like a hypocrite but also a Ravenclaw-Slytherin six witch duel and combat a stubborn staircase which refused the change which would allow him to traverse from the sixth floor to the third. Due to his urgency and how all of these interruptions had slowed down his progress, everyone involved in these interruptions lost a staggering amount of points which made sure he had unknowingly placed Gryffindor in first place for the house cup.

He was finally on the home stretch toward Gryffindor Tower, hastening – a Snape never runs – down the last corridor. The tall, narrow windows to his right however, looked out onto the long stretch of lawns that encompassed the exit path toward the school gates and as his eyes scanned upward, he saw the quite obvious spiralling mane of Hermione as she slipped through the gates and disapparate away. Unfortunately, she was not alone… another quite obvious flash of hair – blonde – twisted away with her.

"Bollocks!" he cursed loudly as the tellingly loud crack of her departure betrayed her high level of emotion.

…

Hermione Granger was many things but a coward was not one of them. She was a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake and after announcing her love for Severus Snape; standing up to the Headmistress who it seemed was even more sly and meddlesome than Dumbledore had ever been; and now resigning herself to independently take her NEWTs via the Ministry of Magic rather than Hogwarts, she felt somewhat on an adrenaline high as she reached the base of Gryffindor Tower. It was comforting to know that the castle was in agreement with her decisions as every staircase had moved exactly how she wanted it to and she had met not one locked door, ghost or student as she'd made her way back to her dorm. She practically flew through the portrait as the Fat Lady opened for her without the password – Head Girl/War Heroine combo-type people did not need passwords in her opinion.

"Hey Mione…" Harry called from one of the plump, red sofas where he was sprawled long ways with some girl resting on top of him; her left hand on his chest, the fingers of her right playing with his hair and her lips buried in his neck.

"I can't stop now Harry; on a mission. Who's the new girlfriend?" She responded, barely sparing him a glance. He'd had a new girlfriend every other week since he returned to school and she was the one who had to comfort Ginny every time he changed his lap decoration.

"This is Chara Clawson; she's erm…"

"What Potter is failing to enunciate," the girl said, exasperated as she turned to face the Gryffindor Princess, "is that I'm in Slytherin. Draco introduced us."

Hermione's eyebrows hit her hairline as her jaw dropped.

"You're letting Malfoy set you up on dates now? I know you two buried the hatchet but really?"

"Why not?" The girl asked. "It's not like you want him. Do you?"

Hermione shook her head, incredulous that the young girl was so forthright. Harry just snorted.

"Well then… just leave Potter here in my more than capable hands and go back to your _mission_."

"Right…" Hermione agreed, still baffled as she made her way more slowly to her room.

It took almost no time at all for her to pack the few sparse things from around the Head Girl dorm into her trunk. After months on the run the previous year, Hermione had struggled to reacclimatise to being able to spread her things out again and not have to be ready to flee at a moment's notice. She was all of a sudden very thankful for having become rather institutionalised by that time as she realised she was once again, fleeing.

With a flick of her wand, the trunk and its contents were shrunk down to the size of a matchbox and placed in the inside pocket of her robes before she looked around with a wistful, reminiscent sigh and headed back to the common room.

In her absence, Harry's little Slytherin girlfriend had lost her school shirt and managed to rid Harry of his, apparently without losing lip contact at all. Hermione rolled her eyes, feeling that her best friend really was taking the role of bringing the houses together just a touch too far. As his hand started to slide down to the girls bum, Hermione made a run for the portrait hole before she was spotted again. She really didn't need to see that.

Her path to the main entrance only got blocked once; that blockage was in the form of Draco Malfoy as he stood in front of her, clearly amused about something and not letting her pass.

"Really, Malfoy? Aren't we passed all these childish antics? Grow the hell up and let me pass." She said, more exasperated with being slowed down than actually angry by who he was and what the situation truly warranted but it _was_ Malfoy and she was in rather a hurry to get off the school grounds before Minerva tried to find her, or Severus. She needed time to think and neither they nor the blonde irritation in front of her would help with that.

"Granger," he said smugly with a nod of his head. "I hear you've been getting rather busy lately.

"What?" She asked, both in fear and shock, before she could stop herself and play it cool.

"Well, there's a rumour going around the Slytherin common room, you see," he began his usual smirking spiel, "that our rather formidable Potions Master was caught snogging some Gryffindor seventh year outside McG's office yesterday."

"I… I… erm… don't…" she spluttered, her face rising in colour to that of her house colours.

"There's no point denying it. You were recognised. It really is hard to miss that hair. I should know. Although my problem is colour, not width."

"What do you want?" She said, wondering exactly what he might want from her if she was correct in assuming he planned to blackmail her in order for him to deny the rumours. What he didn't know however, was that she had no qualms in allowing her love for Severus to become public. She believed and hoped that he would feel the same way.

The smirk dropped from Malfoys face and his eyes narrowed a touch as he stepped closer to her. She caught the scent of his breath – apples – as he exhaled. If she hadn't faced what she had the previous year, she might have been intimidated but as things were she stared right back and repeated herself, stressing each word with a poke to his shoulder.

"What. Do. You. Want?"

"Don't hurt him." Malfoy muttered quietly after one too many moments of silence.

"Pardon?" She asked, not sure she'd heard him correctly. The level of concern in his voice was so un-Malfoy-like.

He took a deep breath.

"I said 'Don't hurt him.' He's already had to lose more than anyone should have to and I don't think he'd survive anymore heartbreak."

Hermione averted her eyes and warred with herself whether to be honest with the young man in front of her who was once her childhood tormentor. He did seem to genuinely care if Severus was hurt so it stood to reason that if she was what would make Severus happy, which she knew she was, Malfoy would approve. Hopefully.

Taking a very deep breath of her own, she looked back into his eyes as they shifted uncomfortably at showing emotion to her and placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Malfoy, I promise; you have nothing to worry about. I love him. In fact, I love him so much that I'm leaving the school and taking my NEWTs independently so he doesn't lose his job over us being together. There are other reasons too but they aren't important."

Malfoy's eyes widened.

"Does… does he know you're doing that?"

"Of course he does. He was there when I told McGonagall. Now, will you please let me pass, I really need to get to the Leaky and order a room before they're all taken for the night."

"Yeah ok." He said, much less smug than before. "Hey, why the Leaky? Why don't you just go home?"

She turned back to him just as she was three feet away.

"Long story but due to uncontrollable circumstance… erm... do you wanna come with me and I'll explain over one of Tom's fry-ups? I'm starving. "

Draco looked around as if making sure he wouldn't be seen talking to and leaving with Hermione Granger before turning back to her and nodding.

…

"I swear to all the Gods Malfoy, Tom's fry-ups are the best I've ever tasted, short of Mrs Weasley's of course." Hermione exclaimed with a large grin on her face having just swallowed a fork-full of bacon, sausage, egg and hash brown.

"You need to be more careful, Granger; you're picking up table manners from the Weaselbee." Draco said, wrinkling his nose as if disgusted.

"I swallowed first. Don't…"

"No wonder Uncle Sev likes you." He smirked.

"Don't be so crass. I thought you were meant to be the one who was brought up well mannered. That is hardly a topic for over food."

"Alright, Granger. Don't get your knickers in a twist."

They ate silently for a few minutes before Draco couldn't keep his wondering mind to himself anymore.

"So, why are you staying here?"

"Well, the thing is, just as the war was about to get into full swing, I… erm… I obliviated my parents, made them forget they had a daughter, forget about magic and witches and wizards, sell their house and their dental practice and move to Australia. Once the war was over, I went to find them and managed to reverse everything and restore almost all of their memories; all except for their knowledge of me and magic. They have their identities back; I had the Australian Ministry make them believe there was a car accident and a case of amnesia but they chose to stay down under. Meaning that I'm, for the want of a better word, homeless."

"Wow. Erm… that's really harsh luck Granger. I don't even know what to say, I mean couldn't Potter have you at his place or the redheads?"

"Weasley isn't a dirty word Malfoy. The Gods, or Merlin or Salazar Slytherin himself aren't going to strike you down for saying it without malice." She said, irritated. She had her moments of not enjoying the Weasley's company too but he acted like they were sewer rats or something.

"Stop changing the subject. You haven't told them, have you?"

She let out a heavy sigh and moved her plate to one side.

"No. I haven't. Harry feels guilty enough already for what I went through and…" she began but stopped as Draco looked down, ashamed. "Hey… it wasn't your fault."

"It feels like it was." He mumbled.

"And that's what makes the difference… it's why I forgive you for the things that _were_ your fault. Remorse is something I never imagined you capable of Malfoy; it shows how much you've grown up and I respect you for that.

"Thanks." He said, still mumbling, still looking away.

"You should get back. Don't you have Potions this morning?" She said with a smirk, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Yeah." He replied, looking up and upon seeing her smirk, delivered one of his own. "Shall I give Uncle Sev your love?"

She laughed.

"Yes, please do. A big, sloppy wet kiss, right on his…"

"Okay, okay, I give. Just stop talking like that… eugh!"

She giggled.

"Fine. Let him know where I am though okay? Not the details of why. That should come from me but the where."

"Will do, Granger. Be good to him, yeah?"

"Will do." She mimicked with a smile.

She watched Malfoy leave the pub before heading to the room which would be her home until something more permanent could be arranged – hopefully with Severus. Room 4.

…

Ever since Severus watched Hermione and Draco apparate away an hour ago, he had been brooding, seething and feeling sorry for himself in equal measure, alternating between the feelings likes a lion with his pride wounded. He knew the boy had reached some sort of truce with Potter after being kept from Azkaban by the trio and talked into returning to school to 'play peace-maker' by his parents but he wasn't keen on the Slytherin playboy whisking Hermione away somewhere privately.

He was aware or at least he felt, deep down in a place he rarely let see light, that he didn't deserve love; not after how he screwed things up with Lily and led her to her death.

'_That's what happened.'_ He told himself for the umpteenth time. _'No matter what Potter says. It was my fault.'_

He glanced at the charmed window in his office again, currently giving him a clear view of the Hogwarts gates as if he were sat right in front of them.

Thirty minutes before his NEWT class was due to begin, just as he was about to get up and prepare the desks with cauldrons, a silent flash of blonde, black and green materialised beyond the gates and sauntered through with a cocky gait and relaxed shoulders. He was alone.

Severus narrowed his eyes on the boy as his mind raced with what he could've done to Hermione. He needed to know quick or every house would lose 500 points by the end of his imminent class. Making an impulse decision, he cast his patronus…

Stunned for a moment at the corporeal blue-white creature that burst from his wand, he stood silently and watched it paw through the air toward him.

"Message for Draco Malfoy," he said after a moment before using his 'intimidating Professor' voice, "My office, now. Speak to no-one."

He watched the full misty mane of a large patronal lion bound off through the wall as if chasing a phantom gazelle.

"What the fuck…?" he shouted loudly to himself as the bluish tale swished out of sight.

Ten minutes later, an almost tentative knock came from the office door.

Severus didn't reply. He let the boy sweat, knowing he had to scare him to get the truth; at least if history was anything to go by.

Draco pushed the door open slowly, eyes darting around for his Godfather. He could tell from the sight of a lion patronus showing up, with Sev's voice, in that tone, that things would be a little tense but he got more than he bargained for as he stepped fully into the office and was slammed bodily up against the spelled-to-auto-close-door.

"Where is she?" Severus ground out.

Draco's eyes went wide for what felt like the hundredth time since he woke up three hours ago and he coughed and spluttered, almost whimpered as his windpipe felt half crushed by the large calloused hand around his throat.

"Leaky." Draco managed to squeak out and was unceremoniously dropped to the floor.

"I'll be out for the remainder of the day," Severus said, as normally as he could muster, "Tell the rest of the NEWT class to revise for the length of their usual lesson. Take my second year class for me this afternoon – get them to brew the Wiggenweld potion. No points are to be given or taken in my absence. Have all samples, bottled and labelled and put in my store room."

"Of course, Sev. Thanks for trusting me with this." Draco whispered contritely.

Severus nodded infinitesimally and headed for the door in his usual billow of robes and intimidatingly long strides.

"She loves you… you know." The blonde called after him.

Slightly peeved his dramatic exit had been ruined but curious as to what she had told his Godson, Severus turned back.

"She loves you," Draco repeated. "She's given up school for you. _Hermione Granger_ has _given up school, for you._ Think about what that means. She also said she's forgiven me, which I think she's done _for you, _as well."

"Thank you. I apologise for how I greeted you Draco. I seem to have gotten myself worked up."

"We all do crazy things for love. Trust me."

Severus raised an eyebrow in question.

"I'll tell you later." Came the reply with a wink.

"You'd better." Severus finished before heading for the school gates.

…

**A/N: And there we have it, a Moon-cliff for you to hang off of until I can return with more pleasure for our favourite wizard; well, my favourite wizard and probably yours too. Except for Claw cus Claw's got a lady-bone for Gryffindor's Boy Wonder and I thought it only fair to honour that. Hope you enjoyed your little reappearance, Clawzer. :D**

**Now, to the important question… who wants Draco? Apply in the reviews please.**

**Love and Blessings**

**Moon Out! x**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This has taken far too long for me to get back to and I did post it once but it wasn't sitting well with me as it was so I took it back down and added more – my apologies for the inconvenience and the extra waiting but it does feel rather magical now. As I have made a change to how I will be ending this story, I had an extra chapter to play with – my goal being 15, so I thought I would have some fun with my 'spare' chapter and making it a bit dramatic and lemony.**

**I feel the need to mention that I was asked why we have two stories on this account of the same name. They are two completely separate stories – this one by me - Moon, the other by my incredible Coven-mate Dash. We have a challenge active on this account where we each write a fic for 100 titles. Title #85 is The Wizard's Pleasure. She wrote her story, I'm writing mine but they are not connected. All details of the challenge are available on our profile page. Please have a read through and then enjoy this little trip back into the world of Moon's 'The Wizard's Pleasure'.**

* * *

Chapter 11

The late morning sunshine flooded through slightly grimy windows as Hermione paced; the floorboards underfoot in her rented room were grubby and creaked with each step as she looked up at the door with every pass, waiting for Severus to arrive and the inevitable 'telling off' that was due to her. She had no doubt that Draco would deliver the message; at least, she hoped he would. He had changed a lot since the war and become much less git-like; he would however, always be 'the ferret' and try to get the better of her. It was just more good natured now.

As for how she was feeling about the confrontation with Minerva, not to mention how she thought Severus was feeling about it… well, she had been treated like a child for far too long. She had allowed her true age and maturity to be hidden for fear of being told off as if she _was_ still a child. The truth was she was a woman now and would take the consequence she was owed like an adult.

She had been excited at the prospect of taking over from Minerva and the idea of being Head of Gryffindor but Severus was so much more important. She was finally living out the fantasies that had plagued her for years as she had watched him from the back of the Potions classroom; blatantly ignoring the slurs on his character and hygiene from her friends and imagining him keeping her after class and making up an excuse to 'punish' her by bending her over his desk.

In a way Hermione felt the need to thank Minerva for letting Severus read her manuscript; it had led to the most amazing morning of her life. But at the memory of that morning being interrupted and surreptitiously ended by the old bag, she simultaneously wanted to strangle her former Headmistress. Whilst angry beyond words at the betrayal and lack of trust that Minerva had exhibited in one of her own, Hermione still respected the older witch, especially after what they had all been through during the war; every life still being lived was a blessing.

Her mind flipped, as she paced, angry thoughts tearing through her mind… 'Who does she think she is?' as her self-righteousness reined and she mentally ranted at the captive and singular audience of herself. 'I am at perfect liberty to kiss, blow or indeed shag the brains out of whomever I damn-well choose and it was at her stupid cajoling and practical insistence that I pursue him in the first place that had me throwing caution to the fucking wind. Well, I have him now and if she thinks for one second I'd pick a job over him then she was more addled by those stunners than she is fucking admitting. He almost fucking died in his duty for the Order and to save us all and if I wasn't in love with him before, I would have been at that moment. It is two Merlin-forsaken weeks until I graduate and my IQ, decorum and educational prowess are beyond reproach.'

She let out a long, exasperated sigh and slumped onto the end of the bed; her mind flipping to her more logical, less emotional opinions "Bitch." she whispered softly, but the slur lacked venom as she tried to hold onto her anger before falling backwards and covering her eyes with a loosely flung left arm and starting to cry. 'How do I fix this… mess?'

* * *

Severus had left the school immediately after getting Hermione's location from Draco. He had no idea what state he'd find her in but knowing her ability to work herself up into a cyclone of unnecessary considerations, he hastened to the gates of the castle and apparated directly outside the Leaky Cauldron.

He barely noticed the wide eyes and dropped jaws of those around him as he hurried toward the elderly barman to ascertain Hermione's room number. Just knowing he was closer to her, closer to continuing their coming together had his heart beating faster. When old Tom looked him over however, Severus realised what the gaping had been about. In his rushed exit from the castle, he had not taken the time to look his usual impenetrable self. In fact, he appeared completely dishevelled and if someone didn't know better, they would assume by the way his hair was sticking out oddly in places rather than being arrow straight; by the way there was still a slight pink plumpness to his lips and an obvious crumpled appearance to his half open robes, that Severus Snape had been well and truly shagged.

Realising his error, he coughed slightly and wandlessly attended his robes and appearance before addressing Tom with his request.

"I require the location of Miss Granger. I understand she is currently staying here."

His tone brokered no argument and Tom shrunk a little from the penetrating gaze but kept his smile in place as he answered.

"Right you are, Professor. Hope she's not in trouble. Lovely girl, Miss Granger is. Lovely girl."

Severus narrowed his eyes. Growing impatient.

"Right, right, okay. Room 4, she's in. Only been up there for about half an hour. Had one of my fry ups with young Malfoy. Never thought I'd see the day them two would be friendly. Warmed my heart, it did."

The thought of Draco and Hermione getting friendly was in some ways a worse thought to Severus than them being at each other's necks. He knew it was highly unlikely that there could be anything romantic between his godson and Hermione, given their past but then his own past with the girl was hardly stellar and she'd chosen to give him a second (or millionth) chance to redeem himself. Thankfully, he had turned away from the bar and headed for stairs long before Tom could have seen the grimace of distaste on his face.

He wasn't sure what to expect as he reached the top of the staircase but it wasn't the sound of Hermione's voice shouting loudly _"Who does she think she is?"…_only it wasn't echoing down the dank corridor as one would expect from a shout. No, this was echoing around his mind. He knew the girl could occlude; she had picked it up quicker than anyone in the Order when he'd given a rudimentary lesson during a meeting before she started her sixth year. It was a surprise therefore that her thoughts could be so clearly heard, resounding in his mind as he drew closer to second door down the corridor on the left. Especially as he had not cast a 'legilimency' spell in some time – perhaps his natural gift for the discipline had become more powerful.

His dragon-hide boots carried him closer to the mentally expounding voice unbidden and as he listened, his eyes widened incrementally with each sentence her mind bellowed.

"_I am at perfect liberty to kiss, blow or indeed shag the brains out of whomever I damn-well choose…" _

'Well, I never. Quite the dirty mouth for a virgin but oh what it can do. You have a point that you can do those things to whomever you want. For now. Once you're mine, you will do them only for me and I will snap anyone who tries to take you away from me.'

"…_and it was at her stupid cajoling and practical insistence that I pursue him in the first place that had me throwing caution to the fucking wind."_

'She got you too, I see. Typical!'

"_Well, I have him now…"_

"That's my girl."

"…_and if she thinks for one second I'd pick a job over him then she was more addled by those stunners than she is fucking admitting." _

Severus's heart warmed in his chest and he closed his eyes, allowing the shiver that her affection and devotion to him inspired to ripple over him.

"_He almost fucking died in his duty for the Order and to save us all and if I wasn't in love with him before, I would have been at that moment."_

'Dear Merlin, she really does love me.' He thought, still almost disbelieving.

"_It is two Merlin-forsaken weeks until I graduate and my IQ, decorum and educational prowess are beyond reproach."_

'Beyond reproach until today. Until you let me ruin it for you.'

He heard movement in the room before Hermione's tone change to a very soft and physically whispered…_"Bitch."_

"Well, I suppose if I can turn Hermione Granger against Minerva McGonagall, nothing in life will ever seem out of reach again." _Including Hermione. _

With that thought in his mind, he knocked her door harshly, twice.

* * *

Hermione jumped at the pounding sound from her door, wondering if the volume was indicative of how mad Severus really was. She flicked her wand at the door from her position sprawled on the bed and watched with one eye as he strode with his own delicious brand of self-assured purposefulness toward her; the door clicking back into place behind him.

"Hi," she mumbled, somewhat meekly for her usual Gryffindor-esque expounding but mentally she was replaying his entrance. _'Well he can't be too mad; he didn't slam the door. '_

"I heard that," he replied, having not turned off his surface scanning legilimency skills. "And to answer your undisclosed thoughts, I am not mad at you."

He watched her body visibly relax. Was he really still so scary to her, he wondered.

"I'm sorry I went all 'girl, interrupted' when Minerva caught us. I just never thought I'd have to defend my interest in you so soon. Especially not to Minerva when she was the one who encouraged me in the first place… I guess I just blew my lid when she implied I was not setting a good example to the other students."

Severus moved closer to her and knelt between her splayed knees as they draped over the end of the bed. His hands resting gently on her thighs.

"Hermione, she will get over it. Honestly, I was rather amused to watch you fire such words at her in all of your glory. You are quite something when you get into your stride about an issue…" he said in that gorgeously sexy, voice of his. Hermione picked up on his tone as his hands moved slowly up her legs to rest on her hips.

She squealed with excitement as he pulled her forward and nuzzled at the untucked t-shirt she had thrown on until he could place gentle kisses over her abdomen and along the waistband of her jeans.

"S-so, I'm not… oh, Severus, that tickles…" she was starting to pant, her eyes rolling back at the sensations he was conjuring with his lips. "I'm not… in… trouble then?"

He looked up at her; his smirk undeniably Slytherin as he took in how quickly she was unravelling under his touch; it was a heady thing for him to feel so utterly worshipped and trusted by her that she allowed him free reign on her body without so much as a raised eyebrow.

"Of course you're not in trouble. I rather think she needed the dressing down. She gets herself into feeling rather too high and mighty at times and you are just the right person to bring her down a peg or two. I was getting a little bored of doing in myself."

Hermione's breath was shallowing as he now had one hand on her hip and the other rubbing the seam of her jeans against her aching clit.

"If you're… oh man… if you're going to keep doing that…" she panted some more, trying to focus her mind a little, "…can you please stop talking about the Headmistress?"

"Anything you say, my bossy little defender." He replied, applying more pressure against the seam of her jeans, simultaneously pulling on her hip to bring her more firmly against his ministrations.

"Good. I've waited so long; too long… please… please… fuck me!" She pleaded amidst gasps and whimpers; every brush of his fingers against rough denim, against over-sensitised, intimate flesh sent flurry of sensation flooding through every nerve ending she possessed. It felt like they were all connected and he was pushing right against the point at which they all met.

With her consent secured – not that it was in doubt – Severus rose to his full height and gently leaned forward over his breathless know-it-all Gryffindor; he showed more care than she thought him capable of. It seemed her words ignited a passion he believed to be long dead and his erection strained to fulfil her pleas as he rested his weight on his arms around her head and bent his head to kiss her.

In his opinion they hadn't spent nearly enough time just kissing and though he was sure of continuing in their quest to fully succumb to both her desire and his own, Severus wanted to savour every moment with her. She deserved her first time to be special, especially as she had waited so long and even more especially because she had chosen him. He wanted to worship her body and learn every ticklish spot, every inch of skin which would make her quake, exactly how much pressure would raise her into the cosmos to explode amongst the stars.

He knew part of this desire was to make up for his treatment of her in the past but he also knew she deserved every pleasure, delight and moment of bliss he could deliver her and as she seemed to derive such things from bringing the same to him, he knew he was powerless to resist anything she asked for. And it seemed, right now, she was asking for his complete surrender to her pleas.

"Please… I can't wait anymore…" Hermione gasped on an in breath as his long, hard length pressed against her waiting wetness through too many layers of fabric.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked tentatively, knowing that sexual joining in the wizarding world came with more strings attached than she may be aware of. "There are things about…"

Hermione let out an almost exasperated sigh, looked at him with all the courage her Gyffindor boldness and passion was famed for and played her last card to get him to finally, _finally…_ give in.

"Snape… shut up." Her words were like a smack in the face and he looked wounded, despite her mischievous grin, so she worked to rectify her words, quickly; not wanting the _situation_ to go South. "I love you… I want you more than anything in this world but right now you're driving me crazy. I am not some dewy eyed child whom you are robbing of her innocence. I know you're hesitating because of my virginity and our past but please trust me when I say, I am beyond ready for this. I have dreamed of giving you this last trace of my, for the want of a better word, virtue for years… YEARS Severus. I have trusted you to arm me with knowledge of Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts, I have trusted you to be a spy for the Order, I trusted you even when your actions were not of your own decisions when everyone else thought you a traitor. I trust you with taking my virginity in a way that will bring me pleasure, I love you with everything I am and ever will be but more importantly right now…" she waved a hand over both of them to dispel their clothes, "I want you. So stop fretting and second guessing, kiss me like there's no tomorrow, grab my arse and fuck me like your life depended on it because if you don't, I am very likely to kill you."

Severus wasn't quite sure what to say to her beautiful tirade. It was almost like she was vowing herself to him; at least, that's how it felt. Her words touched his heart and made him ache for her. As she spoke, he'd felt a stirring in the aether around them; magic had taken notice of her words with as much rapt attention as he had and now he had a choice. If magic was taking an interest in their almost love-making and her feelings, then it was gearing up to shower them in something that would affect them for a very long time, perhaps for the remainder of their lives.

He stroked her cheek gently, trying to placate her and used his own words to try and soothe her sudden fear that she'd said too much. He had to reassure her; he really did not want to fuck this up.

"Hermione, my beautiful little know-it-all witch," he began, and a hot spark of magic sizzled up his spine, "I have no doubt of your feelings for me, nor my feelings for you. You are a blessing and a saviour to my twisted old soul and I want you in this moment more that you can imagine."

He ground himself against her as if to prove this and felt both his magic and hers trying to bring them into alignment and complete their union. It was an unusual feeling, like being guided by the Universe itself to join.

"Severus… please… make me yours…"

"Patience, my love. Something more is happening here. Can you feel it?" He asked, trying to ignore the throb of his cock at it brushed against her slick entrance.

"Yes, it feels wonderful. Magic and I are in agreement… we voted on it and decided it's time for my selfless, sacrificing, dark hero to have his happy ever after so please stop fighting it. Let go of the past, it can't hurt us now, tell me you love me and make me yours."

Severus was assuming that she could sense what magic was gearing up to, that it was trying to bind them. He had tears in his eyes as he finally listened to both the magic and Hermione and allowed the words to flow freely that would make their coupling seal the bond.

Hermione was practically out of her mind with want; she could feel Severus, hard and heavy nudging at her 'down there' in the place where she was dripping for him. All she needed was one little nudge, the last little bit of pushing and she would be all his… everything she'd dreamed of and wanted since she was fifteen. This was it, she could feel it. He was so close. She knew her words were pleading, desperate but she felt urged on by the magic that had surrounded them and danced over her skin.

As she placed her hands around his shoulders, bracing herself for the inevitable moment of discomfort when he finally broke through her last vestige of maidenhood, he spoke the words she had longed to hear…

"Hermione, you are the most beautiful and perfect woman I have ever met; you are fierce and fearless, wildly intelligent and soul-stoppingly sexy. I have never felt more blessed that you have chosen me and that magic itself is encouraging our union. I am hopelessly in love with you, my darling know-it-all and from this moment, I stop fighting it. With this kiss, I am yours."

His lips crashed against hers and hers responded with equal vigour in a moment of pure love and acceptance whilst lower down their bodies di what came naturally and slid themselves together like inserting the final piece of the puzzle.

Hermione felt no pain and Severus entered her, not a twinge or a pinch or a burn as he slid home into her more than ready channel to complete their bond. The magic around them convulsed and expanded, it fed on their pleasure and with each of his thrusts, with every whimper and shiver and shudder and gasp in their act of love, magic bound them tighter to one another. It was epic; it was breath taking and they were lost to it, that feeling that had them all at once both catapulted into the stars and connected so deeply to earth that they could never be parted.

* * *

**A/N: Well, didn't I get all metaphorical and philosophical on when magic takes an interest in a couple of lovers. The cliffs are back you may have noticed but I think the lovey-doveyness of this one softens the need to know what this bond will mean - hopefully. I did take a break from the cliffies over on my own account with For the Love of Snape and all my Dramiones… I haven't really started them on 'Are You Okay?' I don't think but with that extra chapter to play with I thought this was a lovely place to stop for a rest… give you all a little breather like the kind and considerate author I am.**

**Reviews and follows are very welcome and appreciated. Your thoughts spark more ideas to life and let my plot vipers breathe. Also, if you wonder why I say plot vipers and not bunnies, it's because my vipers eat bunnies for breakfast.**

**Love and Blessings**

**Moon Out x**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: This morning I woke up itching to write and I had a plan which did not involve what you are about to read; however as always characters and fictitious magical governments got in the way of what I wanted. What I did have planned for this chapter is now two chapters away and so I am unlikely going to stop at 15 chapters as originally planned but go on and on until I get to a point where I'm happy, then do deleted scenes and the chapter that will lead to the sequel – expect a cliffy of monumental proportions because, well… because it's me and I can't help myself.**

**There will be a member of the Coven getting a Cameo role in the next chapter, which should be fun! The beautiful Vine will be present as Apalapachia Vine (credit for 'Apalapachia' goes to the writers of Doctor Who – Series 6, Episode 10 – The Girl Who Waited), I thought it sounded quite apt as a witch's name. Hope everyone agrees as it's my favourite word of the chapter.**

**Well enough of me rambling on… please enjoy and review and all the other good things. x**

* * *

Warmly ensconced in the embrace of her Professor-turned-lover, Hermione was roused from sleep by an insistent tapping/scratching sound coming from somewhere beyond the comfortable darkness of her eyelids. She had no intention of investigating the source of such an unwelcome resonance that had the gall to even consider disturbing her bliss. However, as the aural intrusion became more insistent and the arms around her tightened, alerting her to Severus also waking from the noise, she resigned herself to having to deal with whatever it was.

Her eyes opened and she mentally took in her surroundings, recounting the glorious encounters of the night before whilst scanning the room for the source of the tapping scratchiness. Her sleep filled eyes landed on the window and the beautiful tan and cream wings that hovered outside the glass panes.

"Owl…" she croaked out so Severus wouldn't have to be further disturbed. "I'll get it."

Severus begrudgingly released his new girlfriend from his embrace and listened to the tell-tale sounds of her shuffling and foot falls as she made her way to the window, muttering about being cold. He smiled at her feeling the loss of his warmth. She was the only one who knew him to have any. Lost in that thought and still awakening as he was, he missed the sounds of her opening the window and removing the letter from the bird but he did not miss the loud gasp that followed.

"What new crisis does today hold to warrant such an alarming intake of oxygen?" He asked, unable to hide his distaste for Gryffindor dramatics.

When no answer was forthcoming, he knew there must be an actual crisis at hand which, considering he had been through enough of those to last a lifetime, made his stomach churn in dread. He opened his eyes and found her standing by the still open window, eyes wide and mouth comically dropped open in shock. The churn in his stomach worsening, he stood from the bed and approached her; his knees popping with age as the pressure of standing up renewed.

"What is it, Hermione?" He asked in a much softer tone whilst wrapping a long, black, silk robe around himself.

Finally, she acknowledged his presence and handed him the unopened envelope. He wondered what could possibly have her so shell-shocked on an unopened correspondence but as he took it from her and looked at the addressees, he understood. In neat, block lettering, written in the purple ink of standard Ministry correspondence were the words he would have more chance understanding if he had been confounded.

_MR & MRS S. T. SNAPE_

_ROOM 4_

_THE LEAKY CAULDRON_

_LONDON_

A Master at keeping emotions in check until later, Severus guided Hermione back to the bed and urged her to sit down before requesting tea and toast from the service menu. He could understand Hermione's shock and even though they had both felt the insistence of magic that surged as they spoke intimate promises to each other the night before, even he held a high level of surprise at this turn of events. He inwardly cringed at thought of the headlines in the Daily Prophet when Rita Skeeter got wind of this latest development.

"Let's have some breakfast and make sure we're fully awake before we read this. I have a feeling we're going to need to have our wits about us. Are you okay, Hermione?" He asked belatedly, realising the young witch was practically catatonic.

He stroked her back lovingly as he watched her eyes slowly come into focus and stare at him.

"I… I promise I didn't do this on purpose. I never wanted to take such a choice away from you as to who you should marry, or even if you wanted to. We've barely even… I mean, it's literally been a day. Severus, I'm so sorry. If I'd known this would somehow tie you to another set of vows, I would've been so much more… I don't know… careful… and… and less forward."

By the end of her words she was trying, unsuccessfully, not to sob and Severus felt her words pierce his heart. Though the reality of him being married to the Gryffindor Princess hadn't quite sunk into his mind yet, from her reaction, she was remorseful about the committed turn their relationship had taken. Being the self-deprecating man he was, Severus couldn't help but wonder if she had had a change of heart; if he was just a prize to be won. He knew that not to be the case considering her romantic interest in him had been present for more years that he knew were possible for her; he couldn't help that niggling doubt that she was so discombobulated at the thought of being his wife. He had no time to consider what being her husband would mean for him as he was interrupted by the pop of a house elf bringing them breakfast.

The elf settled the worn wooden tray on the bedside table and popped away without a word as Severus worked Hermione into a more comfortable position – namely leaning against his bare chest as he settled against the headboard.

She sipped tea blindly after he poured it for her and nibbled on the toast that he fed to her.

"Are you upset by this?" He asked her after a painfully silent few minutes. His words made harsh by his own anxiety at her reaction and the effort it took to resist reading her mind.

Startled by his return to the formidable professor persona, Hermione looked at him directly, his sharp piercing black stare narrowed back at her and smiled her sweetest, most indulgent smile in an attempt to placate his own misgivings.

"No, I'm not upset." She stated with determination as she turned around to face him, kneeling between his legs. "Just… taking in what it means and the… erm… repercussions. We're… Severus, we're apparently… married. I just… it's a lot to take in. I promise you though, I am not upset."

His scowl softened a little at her words but he was by no means as reassured as he was sure she meant to him to be. Her reaction had somewhat dulled the elation he had felt upon waking to the feeling of an intelligent and sexy young witch in his arms and the smile she now had plastered on her face felt as though it was forced in order to make his mood less sour. It had worked a little but his mood could still curdle butterbeer at a hundred paces.

"We should open it and find out what we are really reacting to. It is utterly pointless to assume we have all the answers until we do." He stated, his face turning away in little less than disgust as he began to break the Ministry wax seal.

"Was that a dig at my know-it-all-ness?" She whispered into his ear with a playful tone, her left hand shamelessly moving up his thigh.

His shoulders unclenched a little at her return to their genuine rapport and he smirked unashamedly in support of his statement.

"If the encyclopaedia fits…"

"Well… what do they have to say then?" She asked with more anticipation in her voice now, ignoring his slur, and seemingly having accepted her surly _husband_.

He read the Ministry words out to her.

_Dear Mr and Mrs Snape,_

_I am writing to inform you that as of late yesterday evening, the Department of Magical Births, Death and Marriages received an alert that an unauthorised binding took place between yourselves… Mr. Severus Tobias Snape and Miss. Hermione Jean Granger at 3.09pm on 13__th__ May 1999. As from the receipt of this correspondence, you have twenty four hours to attend said Ministry Department and submit for questioning as to whether this binding was entered into willingly and/or intentionally._

_Given your statuses as Professor and student respectively, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this union is either unintentional or illegal. In either case, the Ministry will work to dissolve the magical bond that has forged this marriage._

_Yours sincerely_

_Apalapachia Vine_

_Marriages Division_

_Department of Magical Births, Deaths and Marriages_

"Well, that is certainly…" Severus started but was unapologetically interrupted by an irate shriek.

"How could they think it would be unwillingly? It may not have been completely intentional but I would never be unwilling. Stupid fucking Ministry, making assumptions again." Hermione ranted as she got up and began angrily getting dressed.

Severus watched, speechless as she yanked her denim monstrosities on without stopping to even consider her knickers and summoned a t-shirt from her beaded bag and threw it over her head to shield her bare breasts. He recognised the disappointment as they vanished from his vision but was captivated more by her words as she continued ranting to herself as if she was talking to him but not really registering his presence.

"I swear, if they even try to dissolve this binding, they will be praying Voldemort was back and trying to kill me; it's clearly not enough for them that I'm of age and capable of making my own choices. It's not even enough that even though I was clearly smart enough, clever enough to send off on a suicide mission finding and killing horcruxes at the tender age of what they thought was seventeen but it's of course so obvious that I can't know my own heart, my own desires. I was a good girl… for years and years, I followed their moronic rules and stupid demands; I lived with two teenage boys alone for six months and kept my fucking virtue. They have no say, no right to take away what is mine and if they try... if they even _try_, they're not going to know what hit them."

Bending over and gasping from barely taking a breath she look at Severus with her hands on her knees…

"You'll still want me if I switch sides won't you…? If I decide to take on the Ministry and fight for you using any means necessary, you'll fight too, right?"

The sudden change in her voice, mood and attitude - from warrior witch who would defend him and fight for him, claim him as her own into the deflated, defeated, completely insecure mouse-like creature that was now panting before him - almost gave him whiplash. She doubted him; after the last twenty four hours, after the last eight years, after knowing his heart and how incredibly hard it was for him to open up, she still doubted him. And it hurt.

He understood that she was fighting her own insecurities, perhaps even comparing herself to Lily and his past love of childhood obsession but how could she doubt his current devotion. Realising that if he voiced these concerns, she might very well think of it as a rejection, he swallowed his own doubts, reminding himself that she had just offered to launch a full scale attack on the Ministry if they even tried to dissolve her union with him, and moved to put his arm around her in a gesture of comfort.

"_Mrs. Snape_…" he began, with all the inflection that he knew would make her smile, "I intend to fight just as fiercely as you claim you will do for me, to keep my little lioness from the controlling arm of the Ministry. You're mine, Hermione," he said with a growl, tightening his grip, "…and they're not taking you away from me either."

He felt her shiver at his growl and a hit of pure lust flooded his groin at how easily both he affected her and she affected him. It was obvious to Severus that they had more talking to do but he couldn't bring himself to care. It was barely 8am, they were apparently newlyweds and even if he was willing to go straight to the Ministry to put them straight, her next words would have had him dropping all and every priority in order to claim her mouth.

"Good…." She began, diving in to kiss at the sensitive skin of his neck, licking just around the edges of the snake bite scar which she had learned during the course of the previous night made his grip on her tighten and his hips to thrust involuntarily. It was a good little trick which she intended to use to her full advantage. "Because when you growl like that, it gets me so, so wet." She whispered.

This time there were no words that left his mouth, just a growl as he grabbed her by the hips and flung her to her back before lowering his full weight over her, delighted that her legs opened without prompting and crashed his lips to hers in a moment of pure abandon.

"Mine…" he growled, his hands reaching under her t-shirt to palm her breasts and toy with her quickly pebbling nipples.

"Mine!" She whimpered breathlessly, biting his bottom lip as their tongues began to dance with each other once more.

* * *

**A/N: Well, here we are at the end of another little TWP instalment. Hopefully it was fun, dramatic and full of nail-biting need to know more, can't read quick enough suspense. If not, well maybe next time. As I am now starting to draw to a close with this if anyone has suggestions for my deleted scenes chapter, please leave them in the reviews.**

**Love & Blessings **

**Moon Out x**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hello my lovelies. Now I don't have a huge amount to say at this end of the chapter, even though I'm writing it post writing the chapter – spoilers and all, I will keep shtum… except to say that my plot got out of hand as it is usually want to do (originally gonna be a one shot – then 5 chapters, then ten, now I'm capping at twenty) and I am able to completely blame wonderful the Miss Vine (TinkerVine le Fey).**

**Ok, so we have three scenes here from what I can recall and here is the contents:**

**1\. Something a little lemony**

**2\. Seeing an old friend**

**3\. Fae shenanigans**

**Enjoy. Review. Follow. Favourite. Etc**

* * *

Hermione lay over Severus with a contented smile on her face and soft lethargy in her limbs. With one arm draped across hiss middle, a leg curled around both of his and her head resting on his chest, listening to the still slowing down beat of his heart, she felt there would never be a happier moment in her life, as there never had been before. All her dreams and wishes had been answered; there was just one more thing she felt the need to do and that was to reassure her 'husband' of just how happy she was.

"I think you just sealed your fate as going down in history." Hermione stated contentedly.

"For…?" He asked leadingly.

"Being the best…" she turned her face into his chest and kissed right above his heart, "…professor…" she kissed again in the same spot, "…ever." She replied with a sigh of pure happiness and snuggled into the alabaster skin and contrasting black body hair of her love.

Severus smirked, out of her line of sight, enjoying the ministrations of her fingers as she gently pulled at his chest hair, completely fascinated.

"You know, I feel so completely privileged to be this close to you. It's as if I passed some secret test and got the password to the real you; all of you. Having you close to me, having you be mine, it feels like opening up a regular old wardrobe and discovering Narnia. You're a blessing to me Severus and I promise I will never take you for granted or expect more from you than you can give."

His arms tightened around her back and he pulled her up to face him; eyes misted with emotion and love shining from every facet of his expression. Severus has no idea what he had done to deserve such a witch in his arms after the mistakes of his past but in spite of the magic he determined to never let her go.

For Hermione's part she was in awe of everything she saw as she looked into the midnight ocean depths of his perpetual gaze. When he finally responded, she was thankful for being horizontal because it was a realistic fear that had she not been, she would've swooned.

"You are an incredible witch, Hermione and regardless of the magic which has bound us, it will be my honour to love you and be loved by you until my last breath. The Ministry, Minerva, your... _friends_; no one has the right or the ability to divide us if we stand together and let the world see how happy and in love we are as a couple."

It was Hermione's turn to be misty eyed now and she leaned in to kiss his beautiful lips; for his faith in her and his willingness to trust her with his heart. He stilled her descent, bringing a hand up to softly wipe away the single tear that escaped her at his heart-warming words. He even tried to be nice about Harry and Ron… well, nice for him… towards them.

"And you're… okay with that?" Hermione asked in barely a whisper, letting her insecurity show. "You don't mind everyone knowing our business and…"

"Ssssh…" he soothed before closing the space between them. His lips touched hers, gently at first and he was still somewhat surprised at how easily she opened up to him immediately; her tongue reaching for his as if it had a need all its own. He shuddered as her fingertips grazed down his bare sides; he was ticklish and as much as he was loathed to admit it, she'd found a way to manipulate his responses with her ministrations and his hips thrust upwards unbidden.

"Mmmm…" she hummed against his lips and repeated the delicate skim over his sensitive skin. His hips responded in the same way, jerking upward but he growled into the kiss with this second attack on his senses.

"Witch… desist." He demanded, his lips crushing harder against hers as he grabbed her hips to settle her more firmly against him; her legs splayed on either side of his own, their mouths never parting or stilling in their tango of tongues and need.

Hermione half listened, bringing her right hand up to the impressively turgid tower of flesh that was his cock, grasping it tightly at the base while her other hand continued to make him writhe as she caressed his side. She pulled away briefly from the kiss to reply.

"It feels like you enjoy it," she said cheekily, a smirk gracing her delicate feature.

His head fell back in bliss, his eyes followed suit rolling to the back of his skull as she finally did as he requested and moved her second hand from his side. Now both of her non-too-innocent hands concentrated on the throbbing flesh of his desperate, leaking, aching rod of manhood. Up and down, up and down she moved over and around him; adjusting pressure, noting his reactions and responses, learning his every movement, want and need.

She delighted and shivered at every grunt or groan she dragged out of him; she felt as if she was finally getting the approval she had wanted from him for eight years and even though it stung a little that it wasn't for academic achievement, when she felt his balls tighten and the croaked declaration that he was about to spill his arousal, the sting dissipated like am off-target spell into nothingness and she found she didn't much care. She was making him happy and that's what counted.

Hermione watched as Severus Snape, her Potions Master, the 'Bat of the Dungeons' as most of her peers called him, the 'Greasy Git' if you asked Harry or Ron, her _husband_, spilled his seed into her hand… back arched upward, gasping for air, hands digging into the flesh of her hips where there would no doubt be bruises by tomorrow, her name whispered on his lips and couldn't have been more content if she tried. If the rest of her life was filled with moments like this she would die happy.

She stroked his chest with her clean hand and whispered she'd be right back before popping to the en-suite to wash her hands off. She rarely trusted scourgify to do a good job of cleaning and after her year in a tent she was sick to death of it. Nothing beat soap and hot water in Hermione's mind… words her grandmother had told her a thousand times.

She returned to him moments later and cuddled into his side.

"Are you ready to face the Ministry, Kia?" He asked, stroking his hand down her side now in a repetition of her actions toward him. She wriggled a little and pushed her bum against him as he spooned her from behind.

"Just let me lie against you for ten more minutes. I don't want to go anywhere really." She murmured, closing her eyes and enjoying his body heat.

He buried his face in her soft, chestnut curls and inhaled her sweet fragrance, knowing he would defend keeping this moment and repeating it many times with his life.

* * *

It was almost three hours later that Severus Snape and his wife, Hermione Snape nee Granger, walked through the Leaky Cauldron bar, hand in hand, to the public floo and called out for the Ministry of Magic, disappearing in a flourish of emerald flames.

Just as it was in the pub, the Ministry employees and visitors whom were milling around the atrium for one reason or another all stared at Gryffindor's Golden Princess and the reclusive yet surly war-hero Potions Master spy as they strode at a leisurely pace toward the lifts.

Both seemed very content to the onlookers, secret smiles being cast sideways at each other and just as they entered an empty elevator carriage, those who craned their necks far enough would have been more stunned than if a 'stupefy' had been cast to see the black-robed wizard grab his student companion into a bracing grip and a swooping kiss.

The doors opened at sub-level three, the disembodied female voice announcing the departments housed on the floor – Magical Births, Deaths and Marriages was not one of them. The heavily engrossed couple parted a little abruptly at being caught by…

"Ah, Severus, I see you've picked up a stray…" came a familiar aristocratic drawl as their would-be voyeur stepped into the cubicle and pressed a button.

Both Severus's and Hermione's eyes snapped upward as the doors closed and settled on the ice blue gaze of Lucius Malfoy; his trademark sneer was as evident as every time Hermione had seen him before but there was something else in his face that she hadn't seen there before – amusement.

"Lucius, behave." Severus admonished simply. "You wouldn't want Miss Granger to rescind her testimony now, would you?"

"Merlin forbid, old friend. Although I hear that the young lady no longer goes by the name Granger. Have I been misinformed?"

Hermione's eyes widened in both shock that he knew and fear that if he knew, so did everyone else. A slew of headlines ran through her head:

She took a deep breath and shook the disturbing newspaper stories from her head before taking in the full image of Lucius Malfoy. He appeared much as he used to, back straight, long, straight, platinum blond hair loose and impossibly unkinked or out of place in any way. Hermione wanted to growl at that whilst simultaneously beg him for what his secret was.

Severus snickered as he skimmed her mind at that moment, praying her Gryffindorishness wouldn't cause a scene.

It wasn't hard to know what he snickered about and Hermione decided she would deal with her husband second; after getting rid of their haughty interruption.

"The young lady can speak for herself, Mr Malfoy." She began, determined to keep her cool. "Please don't presume that _my_ husband must speak for me. I'm sure you're familiar with my ability to have my own voice. In fact wasn't it my voice that kept you from Azkaban?"

"You are correct as always, _Mrs Snape_," he inflected on her new name and brought her left hand to his lips. "Forgive my jesting, I beg of you. Old habits die hard, you know."

Hermione rolled her eyes at his old fashioned etiquette but nodded her head in an attempt to be magnanimous; regardless of his actions during the war, now he was a free man, albeit an 'every action being traced, recorded and monitored for ten year' kind of freedom, he was still rich, powerful and influential; not to mention a friend of Severus's. It wouldn't do to be in his bad books too often.

"Thank you for clearing that up for me, Mr Malfoy, I would hate for…"

"Lucius, please… If you are to be Lady Snape – or Prince, if Severus gets his finger out in reclaiming the estate of his maternal inheritance – then we should be on first name terms, surely."

Severus had rolled his eyes at the continued badgering about him claiming his inheritance but now he cleared his throat in the hopes of steering Hermione from having to politely decline if she wasn't ready. Lucius may be a friend but Severus knew him to be a complete bastard if he felt rejected at all.

"Lucius, I think that may be asking a little much so soon after the events of recent years. Perhaps after…"

"Severus, it's fine. Lucius and I can be… friendly. I'm sure it won't kill me and besides, he's your friend. If I expect you to make an effort with my friends, I should lead by example."

Lucius smirked at this, knowing exactly how Severus viewed Hermione's friends. Meanwhile Severus himself scoffed, also knowing that she had him over a barrel and she was doing so to prove a point to both of them.

"It seems I am outnumbered… but on your own head be it, both of you. Don't expect me to pick up the pieces when you come to blows over some inane piece of tradition."

"Do you really think me so immature that I can't hold my tongue Severus? I may be a Gryffindor but I'm probably the most sensible one since…" Hermione stopped as she was about to say Minerva and then smiled as she continued proudly, "…well, ever."

"She has a point, old friend. I believe the formidable former Miss Granger may be the perfect match for you if she can outsmart you in such amusing ways." Lucius agreed with her, smirking at his old comrade and fellow Slytherin.

Severus let out an exasperated sigh.

"I will not have you two ganging up on me. It's unnatural."

The lift shuddered to a halt, the announcement witch calling sub-level six – Births, Deaths and Marriages – and the doors glided open with a ding.

"Come, Hermione. We have an appointment with Miss Vine." His words were spoken with amusement but there was a definite edge to his tone making it obvious to both Hermione and Lucius that he was losing his patience with their banter.

Unable to help herself from winding up her husband; although Merlin forbid, she knew she'd probably pay for it later, she plastered on her brightest, most beaming smile and waved goodbye to Lucius as she was dragged down the corridor by her husband.

"Byeeeeeeeeeeee Lucius." She squealed like an excitable little girl before deciding she needed to act much more sophisticated, even if it was in mockery. "Do ask Narcissa to owl me to do lunch. It would be just daaaarling to see her again."

Lucius stood there as he watched his oldest and only free-from-Azkaban friend attempt to drag his smirking new muggleborn wife down the corridor. He chuckled at the spectacle they made, knowing they were a good match both intellectually and in humour. She had enough spirit to pull him from his sour moods or maybe even lessen them completely and he would ground her wild Gryffindor enthusiasm. It occurred to him that he held only affection for the wild-haired, open-hearted girl who had only last year been his opponent in a war he wished had never happened, led by a man who should never have been born.

The elevator doors closed on him and he decided that despite Hermione's suggestion that she and his wife 'doing lunch' had been in jest; he would suggest it to Narcissa all the same. It would be nice for Cissy to have a female friend who wasn't only interested in gossip and the latest haute couture fashions. Not to mention that if this marriage stuck, Severus and Hermione would be one hell of a power-couple when it came to changes in the Wizarding World – it would be good to have their ear at this early stage.

* * *

Most doors to Ministry offices were of the plain, black variety. They had no handle or outward distinction of any kind except for a name plate. Each Ministry office door had wards in place to only allow specific members of personnel to enter and both Severus and Hermione had seen several of these doors in their time for one reason or another. However, when they reached the door with the name plate for Apalapachia Vine, they were both at a loss for words.

The wood of both the double-width door and frame were carved into the shape of intertwined leaves with engraved, linking gold bands under each of the small circular windows – one in each door. Severus couldn't sense any wards either which seemed very odd, especially for a record-keeping department but he decided to think on it later as the issue at hand came to mind. With his right hand now wrapped around Hermione's waist, he rapped on the door thrice with his left.

They heard a rustling from the other side of the doors before with a gush of magic the two doors swung inward to reveal the strangest and most unprofessional room either of them had ever scene. It certainly couldn't be called an office. At least not by any standard definition.

All four corners of the room housed a thick tree trunk which grew upward into a richly charmed ceiling of impenetrable green foliage and an excessive maze of branches which ranged from thick and log-like to wispy little twigs and weaved through the overhead canopy. In some places, vines swooped in deep loops from one set of branches to another; in other areas there were dense collections of leaves cloistered together as if their very existence were dependant on their neighbour's closeness.

Severus hesitated to step inside the unusual room which appeared to have natural light flooding from above the false ceiling but Hermione walked forward without any sense of fear or trepidation.

'_So Gryffindor,' _he thought with a grumble but chose to follow her inside anyway; he had no intention of ever letting her out of his sight again if he could help it. He planned to ask her to move into his quarters at Hogwarts at the end of the day. That was of course if he could get her and Minerva to reach some sort of truce.

"Oh Severus, isn't it beautiful? It's like being in the rainforest or something." Hermione said in awe of her surroundings, a sappy smile on her face as she whirled around taking in the ambience.

"Thank you, Mrs Snape."

For the second time in thirty minutes, Hermione's head snapped up at the same time as her husbands and both sets of eyes landed on a young woman… she was not taller than twelve inches and wore a dress of woven leaves in a short a-line skirt and wrap around bodice that sat sleeveless below delicate features. Her sparkling emerald eyes drew shocked expressions to her face and her chocolate brown pixie cut hair had a thickened Mohican coif in the centre. The most startling element of her appearance however had to be her… wings.

Gossamer thin with a slight whiteness that made them appear translucent, they fluttered as she descended from a branch down to a pretty display of open golden flowers blooming from one of the vines at Hermione's eye-level.

"Miss Vine, I presume?

"Yes, Mr Snape. Lovely to meet you."

"I wondered why I didn't recognise your name from Hogwarts. By the looks of your… office… you are of the Gaian line, correct?"

"Right again, Mr Snape. I understand you're both here regarding the letter that was forwarded to you this morning?"

"Yes, we came as soon as we…"

"There is absolutely nothing you or anyone else can do to separate us, Miss Vine and if you try, I will have this entire department shut down and audited. I'll make sure there's so many questions regarding your…"

"Let the woman speak, Hermione." Snape said sternly, cutting off his wife before she got into full rant mode.

Hermione, furiously placed her hands on her hips, wincing at the bruising ache from her husband's roughness earlier and let out an unresigned sigh.

"Fine." She spat.

"Now, Miss Vine. What is all this about? The letter we received said something about unwillingness and illegality as well an attempt to dissolve the bond. Is that even possible? This bond was forged and insisted upon by magic itself. To go against it would…"

"Not to worry Mr Snape, Mrs Snape. That's why your case was directed to my office. I'm not sure what you know of the fae in general or the Gaian Order specifically but we are the keepers of earth magic and when cases such as this come up, where magic has acted outside of intention, it's my job to figure out why. I must apologise for the formality of the letter… typical Ministry bureaucracy, I'm afraid. It's intended to make sure you attend but as you can see, I'm much more informal."

Hermione's shoulders released a little and she took Severus's hand.

"Thank you for that explanation." She said to the little being in green. "I'm afraid my temper gets the better of me sometimes. It's a trait I get from my mother. I'm sorry for misjudging your intent."

"Never mind that. I'm sure your nerves must off the scale with everything that's been happening. Let's see now…" Miss Vine said as she pointed her hands at the ground and rose up two smooth, tree stumps out of the forest like floor. "Have a seat, have a seat. I'll be right back."

The fairy flitted away into the trees as Hermione looked at Severus with a strange calm in her eyes. He'd never seen such serenity there, even when she'd confessed her love or when they'd made love. The most peculiar part of the phenomenon was that he had a dreadful fear curling in the pit of his stomach and causing a lump in his throat which he was struggling to swallow.

It seemed Hermione had noticed as she brought a hand to his right cheek and a kiss to his left before whispering the most reassuring words he'd ever heard.

"I love you and no matter what happens, I will be by your side until the end of my days. Nothing she says can change that; nothing anybody can do or say will ever change that I am yours and you are mine as we're in this together. I don't care if the whole world turns against us; if Voldemort comes back; if there is a huge war between muggles and magicals; any hardship, any happiness; no matter what the trials and tribulations of the days, weeks, months and years to come, you have me and I am never letting go."

"Hermione…" Severus didn't know what to say. He was getting used to these declarations from her but this one seemed to blow him away.

"Ah… I'm sorry; I should've warned you… emotions feel heightened in here. It's the Gaian magic of the trees; they release a sort of gas which induces euphoria in most but strange fear-mongering hallucinations in others. It's completely natural of course but can take you be surprise if you aren't prepared for it. Now…" the fairy fluttered back into view, speaking a mile a minute and reminding Severus greatly of Hermione when she gets into one of her, what he liked to call, Ravenclaw modes.

She flittered down toward them and landed on Hermione's knees gracefully, holding two identical white calla lilies outstretched to her guests.

"Would you each take one of these in your left hand and enlarge it. It needs to be done by your magic for my magic to work the ritual. I have a good feeling about this one." She had an excitement in her voice that Hermione found infectious and her tummy churned with anticipation as she enlarged her lily and Snape did the same beside her.

"Ok, now this office isn't the extent of my domain, just the portal to it. The Gaian Forest is about three acres of enchanted lands and the path that leads through these two trees…" Miss Vine said, gesturing to the two far corners of the office, "…will take you there. You'll need the lilies to gather anything that calls out to you and when you return, we will read the collection on your combined efforts to see if I can recommend that the earth magic that bound you acted on your desires and not on behalf of another force."

"Divination…" Hermione asked through grinding teeth. "You're basing this on divination?"

She let out a sigh and resigned herself to participating in this silly ritual.

"Not that it really matters. I'm going to be with him no matter what your little divination journey says and if the Ministry does break the bond, I'll just marry him again. On purpose this time."

At these words, Severus leaned in and kissed his wife.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple Mrs Snape. A magical bond that is severed cannot be reformed. Once the magics are separated, the two will repel each other and be unable to mix… like oil and water."

"There has to be another way…" Hermione pleaded. "I can't risk anything that will take him away from me… ever."

"Hermione, if the worst happens with this divination then I promise I will find a way to break the repellent. I swear it to you. I love you, you're mine and nothing is separating us, remember, nothing."

"I love you too. I really do."

Severus could feel the desperation rolling off of his wife in waves as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her hair. This was unlike anything he had ever faced before and he was fearful himself but he knew he had to be strong for Hermione. After everything she'd sacrificed for him, after willingly giving herself to his sour and surly self, for turning his life into something worth living, he would be strong for her and he would find a way to provide the future they both wanted.

"Okay, okay… time to get started. Mrs Snape you go first. Just follow your heart and be true to yourself and the love you feel for Mr Snape here."

Hermione nodded and took a deep breath before giving Severus a kiss on the cheek and walking boldly, with her head held high, like a true Gryffindor into the unknown.

Severus watched Hermione walk away from him, barely able to release her from his embrace. The kiss she placed on his cheek felt like goodbye but felt the desperate need to ignore his instincts and she stepped through a shimmer of atmosphere between the two large trees.

"Okay, now you, Mr Snape. Good luck…"

Severus stepped forward, following Hermione's footsteps as he walked toward the shimmering wall. He found though that he couldn't pass through it. He tried three times before he began to panic and whirled around to snap at the fairy.

"What is the meaning of this…? Why can't I get through the portal?" He spat angrily.

"Please calm down Mr Snape. My apologies. I was caught up in the romance of her words and yours. This is your portal, over here." She flittered to a second path between the two right hand corner trees and gestured for him to pass through the shimmer. "It is imperative that the two of you do not work together but find each other and so you cannot enter at the same point of the forest."

"If I find you have led me and my astray, pixie, I will hunt you down."

"Understood, Mr Snape. Now hurry. You have until the next sunset." She responded, calmly; completely unruffled by his temper and threats.

"But I have classes in the… oh never mind."

With that he stepped forward and entered the shimmering portal to the Gaian Forest; with one thought on his mind – Hermione. He didn't trust that fairy and he didn't like this divination one little bit.

* * *

**A/N: Well what did I tell you? The plot got out of control. The lemon was not planned; Lucius was not planned; the Office Forest and the upcoming adventure/journey into it was not planned. **

**Now for the big question. Do I continue with Good Vine or Bad Vine? Answers in the review section please.**

**Love and Blessings**

**Moon Out x**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello all and thank you for so much of your patience over the last several months in waiting for this to continue. It will now be continuing on my personal account under Acantha Rayne Oakmoon (please see our profile for a link to that account) and on my AO3 account of the same name. Chapter 14 is live.  
**

**The other ladies who have been a part of this account with me would like to thank everyone who had followed, favourited and reviewed but with several of us posting and with multiple fics of the same name, some of our readers were getting confused by who wrote what. All of our individual stories have been moved to our private accounts and all links can be found on the profile for this account. **

**I do hope those of you following this story here will continue to do so fro my other account.**

**Much love and many blessings**

**Moon Out!**


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